WOMAN
by SeedsAndMisdeeds
Summary: Annixia Dexter has faced her demons, on more than one occasion, and is proud to say she's still going strong. Will that all change now she's taken up a career at Hogwarts, teaching her unknowing Godson? Not to mention her fiance's escape from Azkaban...
1. Chapter 1

**Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 0.1 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]**

Careful to skip over the trick step before her, Annixia Dexter continued her journey through the sunlit corridors of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; her little kitten heals clicking lightly against the stone pathway.

She took in the ever familiar scenery surrounding her, her curious eyes flitting from the walking, talking portraits to the tall statues and suits of armour before her. She grinned as that humbling, warm feeling settled inside her. She still loved this place, even after everything.

With that same bounce in her step, she turned the corner onto the Charms corridor and there, she ran into an old friend.

"Miss Dexter, how lovely it is to see you again!" Sir Nichols cried joyfully, bowing to her, his head wobbling precariously on his neck.

Beaming at her old House mascot, Annixia nodded in return, replying easily, "And you as well, Sir Nicholas! It's been ages since I last saw you! How have you been?" She requested politely, her head tilted to the side in innocent curiosity.

"Oh, the same as always, my dear. Not much changes when you reach this stage, I'm afraid." He sighed, floating close to her, hands latched behind his back, "Mind if I walk you to your intended destination, My Lady?"

Smiling sweetly, Annixia retorted, "My classroom, and of course! I would love your company, Sir Nicholas." And she really would. Ever since she was a tiny tween she had gotten on well with the half decapitated ghost, enjoying his old fashioned chivalry and manners, and often patrolled the corridors with him when she pulled lonesome prefect patrols.

He was good company, even if he was a little sensitive when it came to his lack of living.

"Ah yes, you always were a talent in your studies, Annixia but I have to admit, the other ghosts and I were more than shocked to hear of Professor Binns' sudden departure." Nick began, gliding along beside her as they set off along the path to the History of Magic class.

She looked up at him through big, hooded eyes and retorted animatedly, "Tell me about it! I was completely gobsmacked when Dumbledore requested I come to teach, but when I heard it was for History for Magic I swear I nearly fainted. After _how long_ he decides to retire?"

"Pushing on a century now. Curious, isn't it?" Nicholas tilted his head until it was half on, half off and shared her confusion.

"Mmm." She hummed, but grinned in amusement, "But far be it for us to deny him the right to explore the world, even if he is over a hundred years old! Can't quite picture him sunbathing in Barcelona though, can you?"

Nick smiled also, "Definitely not. He always said he wanted to see the pyramids though. I suppose we have to give him credit for following through with his dreams however. And you'll make a wonderful teacher, Miss Dexter, charismatic as you are."

"Thank you, Sir Nick. I'm looking forward to it." She replied, her eyes shining as they reached her classroom, her hand twisting the rustic door handle as she turned to bid her old friend goodbye, "Thank you for the company, Sir Nick. I probably won't get the chance to see you at the welcoming feast tonight, what with all the commotion, but I'll catch up with you soon?" She asked sweetly, raising her brows in question.

"Of course, Madame. Until tomorrow?" He retorted.

"Until tomorrow." She echoed and waited until he had floated away to throw herself into the classroom she now had the right to call hers. Eyes sweeping in the changes she had made, Annixia grinned in satisfaction.

The windows had been opened and the blinds that covered them rolled tight at the top to let in as much sun as possible; she liked the way the light filled her classroom, so much so that she even added a sunroof too and had spent many sleepless nights laid on the floor underneath it, gazing at the different constellations.

The tables too, she had moved, joining them all to form three thirds of a square arched around her classroom walls, leaving a big open floor in the middle, giving her a chance to move about and create different activities in a spacious environment; it also made the room look twice as big.

The walls were littered with timelines, both muggle and wizard, as well as the four house banners. Certain quotes loitered here and there also, and lanterns were tacked about here and there as well as Fairy pictures, which glowed beautiful colours in the dark.

It almost seemed enchanted at night.

Ecstatic at the change she had encouraged, Annixia bypassed her classroom and slipped behind her blackboard, standing in front of a lazing mermaid who simply raised an arrogant and inquisitive eyebrow.

"Calliope."

The portrait swung open with a roll of the creature's dull eyes.

Having not slept well the previous night, tossing and turning due to nerves of the fastly approaching feast, the first thing she did was flop half heartedly onto her cushy couch and close her over bright eyes.

It would either be a painfully long evening, perched beside her fellow colleagues, staring at the mass of teens before her, or strikingly quick, a flash in which she couldn't distinguish Dumbledore from Flitwick let alone her Godson in a tangle of students.

She released a loud groan and flopped back up, slanting her gaze around the large and cosy living space. Harry. Her godson. She would see him tonight, meet him within the week and watch for him as she had always done.

She just prayed that, even if he discovered the truth, he wouldn't hate her and if he did, at least give her the opportunity to explain. If not, it would be a loss for the both of them and Annixia, already battling more than her fair share of demons, wasn't quite sure if she could handle another knock like that.

Not after everything.

She picked up the day's paper and stared at the familiar stormy eyes she knew all too well, sighing deeply.

As if she didn't have enough on her plate without throwing in an escapee murderer out to get her Godson, just as he had their parents.

Oh yes, her fiancé was something she wasn't quite equipped to deal with yet.

'But hey, that's life...' She thought lazily, 'or my life, at least.'

He was there.

Right in her eye line, so close and yet so far, buried in a sea of students.

But he was there.

A shock to her system, his extreme resemblance to his father, and her old close friend, was enough to knock her sideways and rid her body of all breath. He looked so strong, and yet, so lost...

Remus stood next to her and clapping resounded, she joined in.

Oh yes, Lupin had shocked her tremendously, showing up as he had and, judging by his own expression, her appearance had been no little surprised. They had stood, dumbstruck, like breathless goldfish.

Then, in a whirl of past memories, Annixia pounced on her old school chum and squeezed the living death out of him. Stunned, it took a moment for him to respond, but he did, with all the effort he could spare.

They had gabbled for a short while, talked away the evening over random, meaningless things, both of them rushed up in the old days, news days and what's to come days. Just enjoying one another's company.

Until Dumbledore had stood and interrupted with his speech.

Which she should have been paying attention to, now you mention it...

"And, our final staff switch, comes in the form of a new History of Magic teacher as Professor Binns has taken the time to explore the world in his...everlasting state." Curious mumbles spread gently. Albus cleared his throat, "Miss Annixia Dexter has kindly agreed to fill the post, pending his return, and we feel immense gratitude to her for doing so."

She stood easily, flicking up five fingers in a greeting, swallowing an eye roll as a few wolf whistles echoed. Remus grinned in amusement as she sat back down, not surprised in the least. Annixia, ever the stunner, had always evoked such a reaction from the male species, and Remus had to say that he could hardly blame them either.

With a tumble of sleek, soft ash curling to her shoulder blades, bronze skin and curvy stature, Annixia had always been beautiful, but coupled with her crimson dazzle of pearly whites and unbelievable molten gold eyes that forever sparkled, she was more than a sight to behold. Pure, adult exquisiteness.

It also didn't hurt that she didn't look a day over 25.

With a tumble of words, the old headmaster dismissed them and Lupin slipped away from the crowd through the back door of the Great Hall. He breathed a relieved sigh, never having thrived in the spotlight.

The corridor was quiet, which is why he was so shocked when he heard from behind him, "Trying to escape, are we, Professor Lupin?" A bright female voice questioned and he swivelled to face her grin, matching it with his own.

"From you, Professor Dexter? Never." He smiled charmingly as she strolled forward, bounce completing her step, linking her arm through the crook of his elbow.

"I should hope not!" She cried in fake indignance, beaming up at him, "Now, be a dear and walk an old lady to her classroom, would you? I believe Peeves is on the prowl tonight and I, for one, am a firm believer in strength in numbers. Won't help much if we get rushed over by students, but still..." She ventured off, biting her bottom lip out of pure habit.

"Though I find you far from old, never would I decline walking a beautiful lady to her intended destination. I'm no fool." He mocked down at her and she rolled her eyes, snorting as she shoved him playfully.

"Ever the charmer, eh Remus?" She raised her brow, giggling as he threw a casual arm over her shoulders, her challenged height making it all the easier to do so.

"And gentleman." He insisted, grinning at her suavely, "Don't forget 'gentleman.'"

As they travelled and traversed the familiar path, the playful banter continued, and it was as though the two had never parted; still the best of friends they had always been.

Despite the missing links...


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 0.2 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]**

Shifting form one foot to the other and nibbling on the corner of her bottom lip, Annixia stared across at her empty classroom that; she checked her delicate silver wrist watch; in five minutes would be filled with Gryffindor and Slytherin 3rd years.

She sucked in a sharp breath.

First class; she had him for her very first class. Unnerved by the thought, she had thrown on one of her favourite outfits, completely skimmed over food at breakfast, sticking to warm milk instead to soothe her as much as possible, and rushed off to her classroom.

All the while, familiar green eyes haunting her mind.

She glanced down at her clothes one last time, tugging on the skirt hem gently, sighing as she thought about the many clothes strewn around her home having torn her wardrobe apart searching for the best outfit she could think of for her first teaching day.

Paired with a nice set of comfortable black kitten heals.

Nixi started pacing.

_Oh God, oh God, oh God. _How was she supposed to deal with this? It was such a weird feeling, to see him now, all grown up and attending Hogwarts. Lily and James would have been proud, she had no doubt.

She sucked in a deep breath and relaxed against her desk, half leaning, half sitting on it, calming her nerves by thinking over her lesson plan. She had something good planned, something thirteen and fourteen year olds should enjoy. At least, something she hoped they would.

She picked up the register and allowed her eyes to flit over the twenty or so names written there. Besides Potter and Weasley, one name stood out among many.

_Malfoy._

If that wasn't a blast from the past then she didn't know what was.

She refrained from scoffing. As if that son of bitch had the nerve to pass his deformed genes on to another generation. That had to be against the laws of nature.

She wouldn't judge though, not based on name. She had seen, first hand, what could happen to someone because of an unwanted namesake and did not much fancy reiterating the past so vividly.

The old wooden door creaked open and in walked murmuring students.

She took a deep breath.

_Well then, here we go..._

Harry, alongside Ron and Hermione, entered the familiar History of Magic classroom, only to find it completely turned around. The desks were all joined together, framing the three of the four room walls, two facing each other, one facing the teacher's desk, from where Professor Dexter smiled brightly at them.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ron turn red and Malfoy, already finding a seat, nod and smirk in immense approval.

As much as he hated the bloody twat, he couldn't help but allow his own eyes to sweep over the new addition in the room.

She was dressed in a half shirt/half skirt dress that fell to just above her knees, showing off great legs. Her curly hair was pulled back into a loose bun, front pieces falling into her magnificent golden eyes. She looked beautiful, and very friendly.

From beside him, Harry heard Ron let out a not so subtle "phwoar."

Scoffing and rolling her eyes, Hermione huffed slightly as she led the way to three spare seats. They sat, in perfect quiet, awaiting the start of the lesson to find out just what this 'Miss Dexter' was like.

She smiled benignly and started easily, "Good morning class, hope you're all well rested and revving to start the day. As you may have heard last night, I'm Professor Dexter and I'll be taking over this year from Professor Binns. Any questions so far?" She asked, raising her eyebrows. No hands were raised.

She crossed her arms over her chest, smile widening. "Very good. Right, I've got a register here, so I know your names, if not your faces, so when I call your name could you please raise your hand as you answer? It'd help me out a lot."

She went down the roll, smiling at each person in turn. Most smiled back.

_Stupid Slytherins._

"Alright then, according to Binns' records, the last subject you were doing was the collapse of the Goblin dynasty, is that right?" Her eyes searched the classroom. She was met by blank stares. A light laugh escaped her, "Can anyone tell me anything about the collapse of Goblin Empire?"

Like everyone else, Harry looked at her with guilty cluelessness but she didn't seem to mind.

"Ok then," she used her backside to push away from the desk, "Guess I've got a blank canvas to work with. That's always a positive." She stepped into the middle of the classroom, having made so much space, and began to pace slightly as she spoke.

"Ok; the scene: The French Alps; the time: 1467. I want you to picture it in your mind clearly ok, so close your eyes for me." The students shot each other confused looks. Annixia rolled her eyes. "Just do it already; I'm not gonna jump you while you're off guard."

Amused, they obeyed her request. Harry concentrated on her smooth tones, "Ok. One long smooth surface, nothing more than a sheet of ice about 25 metres long. On one side is a battalion of trolls, huge, intimidating, a bunch of right ugly sods. They look scary, but dumb as tree trunks. Not exactly sweet like candy."

A few people snorted and Harry heard her tut in a direction not far from him. "No peaking. Opposing them is an entire army of teeny tiny Goblins, large in numbers but not in stature. However, and if you've visited Gringotts lately then you'll know, mean little buggers, ready to all but bite off some fingers. They're well armoured and smart; very smart. It's hailing in slow, thick ice rocks. Can you guys picture it?"

The class 'mhmmed' in affirmation and Annixia grinned to herself, quickly flicking her wand, causing the blinds to fall and shoot out all light except that coming from the sunroof. The beam of light shone right in front of her.

"Ok then, open your eyes."

They did as told and gasped lightly in wander. In the centre of the beam stood, like a digital projection, the exact scene they had just imagined, about the same size as Miss Dexter, lifted about a foot off the ground.

It was so real, only slightly translucent. The trolls were even snarling as the Goblins gave grim looks to one another, and then their opposition. After a few seconds, Annixia started again and, with his eyes now open, Harry noted that she was an animated speaker, using her hands as well as her words to describe and emphasize.

"The last moment of dusk disappears into night and the two sides, no longer having reason to restrain, march forward further, until they are only 10 metres apart..." The projection followed her every word, "The two separate captains step forward, Draknought from the Goblin Army and Denaul for the Trolls, extracting their weapons."

Draknought extracted a long axe from a sheath on his back; Denaul a club raised in his hand. The hail gets stronger as the projection zooms further in, concentrating mainly on the two leaders.

"And, with a resounding battle cry, the two charge at one another..."

"So, my third year Gryffindors told me today that they have new favourite subject. I'll give you three guesses." Remus grinned at her when she entered his now empty classroom, her hands laden with lunch for them both, packed in a wicker basket.

She smiled happily.

"If it's not History, now you've said that, I will cry." She threatened, throwing him a serious look as she placed the basket on his desk. She began unpacking the sandwiches and crisps as Lupin rolled his eyes and placed the paper work of his to the side.

"Keep the crocodile tears for now, but come next week, you know you'll have been knocked off the top spot." He smirked cheekily and she stopped what she was doing to raise an eyebrow in his direction.

She hummed before continuing unpacking; "Do I sense a competition brewing?"

He smiled, "Well I suppose we'll just have to – OOOH! Honeydukes Honey Suckle: My favourite!!" Lupin exclaimed as his light eyes sparked. He grabbed for the chocolate greedily, only to have it snatched from his grasp at the last second.

"Not until you've eaten your sandwich! Health before heart attack." Annixia scolded, narrowing her eyes at him warily. Lupin grumbled under his breath, moodily reaching for a ham salad bun.

"You and your bloody heart attacks."

Annixia, after years of an ever changing environment, was more than satisfied with her new situation. Better than that; she loved it.

It seems teaching was all she ever needed and, as she strolled across the school grounds by the

Black Lake, Hogwarts was the place she wanted. After...everything, it was just the perfect release. All of her memories, every tiny thing, were imprinted in her mind as well as every blade of grass that surrounded her.

One of the best times of her life.

Her eyes stole the scene of an abandoned oak, swaying sadly in the growing breeze. A smile etched across her face.

Lily and James.

Alice and Frank.

Remus and Peter.

Sirius and her...

She shook her head. It wasn't the time. It never really was the right time to think about him anyway. She would not travel twelve years to the past just to revisit him. It wasn't worth it. _He _wasn't worth it.

An unbearable cold swept over her body and, for a moment, she thought it was the past consuming her; a physical reaction to her psychological notions. Only it wasn't.

But it was close enough.

Sweeping down upon her, draped in black cloaks swishing about their skeletal freaky frames, twin Dementors descended upon her as the sky turned darker in a swift unbelievable movement. Breath rattled inside them.

Before they got too close, close enough to suck every ounce of happiness out of her, Annixia's well practised instincts kicked in and she whipped her wand out and thought back to one of the best times of her life...

"_Hush little baby, don't say a word,_

_Nixi's gonna buy you a Mocking Bird._

_And if that Mocking Bird don't sing,_

_Nixi's gonna buy you a diamond ring."_

_Smiling down gently at the baby boy clutched to her chest, she swayed back and forth, singing sweetly. Annixia smiled delicately at the newborn in her arms as she ignored, unintentionally, the stark white surroundings of St Mungo's._

_Green eyes connected with gold and the only people in the world at that moment was Harry and his Auntie Annixia._

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Magnificent in a shimmering silver aura, a sweeping Phoenix soared over to the enemy, its wings spread to the great expansion of five feet each. In under a minute the beautiful song bird had ridden the area of all cold feeling and left Annixia with the warmth of a dying sun and the company of her protection.

She smiled, reaching out to pet the bird as it nudged into her hand, almost passing through her, before disappearing.

Tucking her wand back away, as though nothing had happened, Annixia turned on her heal and strolled back up to the castle, shaking her head as she went.

_Sirius is in the next one...Rate and message?? Please?? ___


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 0.1 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]**

"_Watch out now, Anni; playboy at twelve o'clock." _

_Annixia glanced from the books she was readjusting in her arms up to the other end of the corridor upon hearing Lily's comment before rolling her large eyes in exasperation. _

_She and Lily shared a knowing look as each of their unified steps took them closer to none other than the infamous Marauders._

_It wasn't the first time in their six years of magical education, nor would it be the last, that the two Gryffindor girls had 'greeted' the popular Marauders in such a seemingly innocent circumstance and left behind them a bombsite of battered egos._

_Well not so much Peter, who only seemed to sputter and blush in their presence,_

_or Remus, who was actually one of the wittiest and sweetest people Annixia knew._

_However, James being the love sick puppy he was, usually ended up crawling away, rejected tail between rejected legs._

_Sirius, being the player he was, was convinced Annixia was secretly head over heels for him and was just playing hard to get._

_He was wrong._

_And she had no trouble knocking him back to express her disagreement with his theory._

_So when they met in the middle of the poor hallway, you can imagine the amount of tension in the air..._

_Only there was none._

_The two sects were perfectly at peace with one another:_

_It was such a strange kind of repetitive comfort. _

"_What a coincidence," Sirius started, leaning against the stone wall just in front Annixia, his curtain of ash black hair tainting his stormy eyes perfectly, "We have to stop meeting this way sweetheart; letting that magnetic attraction of ours dictate our every move. Wouldn't you agree?"_

_Annixia snorted, ignoring the conversation, ever so similar to her own, happening on her left._

"_Magnetic attraction? Which trashy romance novel have you been exploiting this week, Black? I'm disappointed; you at least used to be original."_

_Smirking, he held a hand to his heart, leaning closer to whisper, "My fair lady, how you wound me."_

_Rolling her golden eyes, Annixia replied easily, "Think that's pain? It's nothing compared to what you're gonna get if you don't get out of my way."_

_He didn't shift._

"_Now."_

_His smirk widened into a smile so stunning any girl would have given an arm to be in Anni's place._

_As fate would have it, Annixia was the one girl who would've given anything to not be there._

"_Have I ever told you how irresistible you are when you're cross?"_

_His teeth sparkled, his eyes twinkled._

_Annixia shook her head and laughed lightly, her curls falling around her face to hide the faint blush that had crept along her cheekbones._

"_Have I ever told you how corny you are when you're desperate?"_

_He fake winced, his handsome face contorting in mock pain._

"_Ouch again; on a roll today?"_

_She looked up at his tall stature through her long lashes, _

"_Oh you have no idea. Trust me."_

_He tilted his head to the side, like a curious puppy, complete with high cheekbones and perfect teeth. Why was it she didn't like him again?_

"_I'm having a hard time with that. Why don't you have dinner with me tonight and prove it instead?"_

_Oh yeah; that's why._

"_Because I have a problem in my lower back that only allows me to stoop so low."_

_Behind Sirius, Remus smothered a laugh and Sirius looked at her, surprised by her ever present witty nature. Would he ever get used to it?_

_Tilting her own head, Nixi grinned and looked up (very, very up) before commenting once again, "Proof enough for you, __**sweetheart**__?" _

'BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!'

Annixia shot up in bed, her brow wet despite the cool, coming winter air and her mind muddled.

Sirius? Had she just dreamt about _Sirius?_

Seriously?

No; no she hadn't. Not _dreamt _anyway.

_**Remembered.**_

A memory far too clear in her supposed present state of mind. What was she thinking, bringing him up now? What was her subconscious playing at?

The man who had murdered her best friends.

The man who had left her Godson orphaned.

The man who had traded in their life together for a life time of servitude to the Darkest Wizard of the century.

The man she would forever love.

Sighing, she threw off the covers to her double four poster, slipped into her bathroom and shimmied lout of her nightgown.

Stepping into the shower, she let the heat wash over her.

Long ago, about a decade past, she had discovered the truth, heck she'd known as soon as she'd given into his persistence, that she could never _not_ love him.

That she couldn't love another the same way.

Ever.

The thought had once made her happy, and then completely depressed, and then she just sort of...accepted it.

There was no use fighting it, despite everything, she just couldn't make it stop.

But she had carried on anyway, with no other option but to live her life as best she could.

So that's what she did.

She dined with her friends.

Travelled the world.

Dated the few Maybe Men she had found.

And now, now she was a teacher at the most prestigious Wizarding School in the world.

Despite everything, the one thing Nixi could never do was complain.

She was happy; happy as she could get.

And then he'd escaped. Life just seemed to have gotten more and more complicated every day since she had found out. And Dumbledore inviting her to work in his school had been half about the actual career opportunity and the rest a means of protecting Harry.

She took a breath.

Harry. Her soon to be grown up Godson.

How much she loved him.

How oblivious he was.

What had Lily said again, if she were ever to be gone before Harry was grown?

"_Take care of him, Nixi. There's no one I better trust than you with my son's life. James feels the same. You and Sirius, you're the closest things to parents he could have if not us. Do this for me. Please."_

Uggh. Too many broken promises haunted her past.

But he would take care of him.

After all, what are Godmum's for?

Later that day, relaxing in the staff room with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, Anni stared, eyes glazed, at the front cover of the Daily Prophet in her hands.

At her ex lover screaming on the front page.

She sighed.

What a fun day it was turning out to be.

At the other end of the squishy sofa, Snape sat rigid, apparently still unable to relax in her presence, a thought that both saddened and amused her greatly.

Breaking her train of thought, the door opened suddenly and a rush of noise followed her old friend through. Curious, Annixia dropped the paper on the coffee table and turned her attention to, what she realized to be, her third year teaching group of Gryffindors and Slytherins.

She grinned at Remus as he smirked serenely to Snape. The Potions Master seemed eager to escape, more so than even before.

If there was one thing worse than being stuck in an enclosed space with a Marauder's girl, it was being stuck in said enclosed space with her, a group of Gryffindors and a Marauder himself.

Annixia smiled. Poor Severus.

There was no mistaking the malice in his eyes as he stood regally and asked in a low, snide whisper, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this." His black robes billowed as he walked toward the exit, his nose high in the air.

But, of course, Snape being Snape had another comment to enforce.

"Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."

Poor Neville blushed crimson.

Anni's eyes narrowed automatically in his direction and, had it been her place, in her current mood she would have whipped her wand out and blasted the jerk into the next century.

As it was, she simply sipped her drink and allowed Remus to handle it.

His eyebrows rose.

"I was hoping that Neville would assist me with the first stage of the operation and I am sure he will perform it admirably."

His tone was easy, light. So very Lupin-esque.

Instead of replying, Snape simply swept out and slammed the door closed behind him.

A sigh of relief descended the room and any tension there had dropped. My eyes found Harry; he was smiling at me, seeming at ease.

"Afternoon Miss Dexter. Sorry to impose on your relaxation."

Smiling at her old friend she waved a dismissing hand. "Not at all, Remus, it's no problem. Alright there, you lot?" She greeted the students.

The class smiled and nodded, some waving and others simply grinning at her. She returned to Lupin, "Anything interesting?"

Remus grinned and pointed to the rattling wardrobe at the end of the room. No words needed.

Annixia nodded and snorted, rolling her eyes, "Of course. That creature has you written all over it."

"Well gee," He answered, smirking slightly in light sarcasm, "Thanks for the compliment."

Biting her lower lip and smiling cheekily, she replied sweetly, "Anytime, sugar."

He rolled his honey eyes before moving forward to stand beside the closet the rest of the class had moved away from. Something bashed inside. "You staying for this?" He asked, eyebrow raised.

Still grinning, Annixia nodded simply, "Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss it."

"Right then," Lupin turned to address his class, "Nothing to worry about, there's a Boggart in there."

Nixi giggled lightly to herself as the class seemed to believe that that was something to worry about. Harry turned, shocked by the apparent innocence in the sound and found it uncharacteristically easy to imagine Miss Dexter and Professor Lupin as teenagers. Simply good school friends.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces. Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, the cupboards under sinks"- He shot Annixia an amused look as she feigned ignorance to the hint- "I've even met one that lodged itself in a Grandfather clock. _This _one moved in yesterday afternoon and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third years some practice."

"So, we must first ask ourselves, what is a Boggart?"

Hermione shot her hand up. Annixia was unsurprised and drifted off slightly as the class continued on. It had been so long since she herself had faced a Boggart, and what had it turned into back then?

Oh yes, of course.

Sirius.

But not the _murdering _Sirius.

No.

Her Sirius.

Being _murdered._

She snorted lightly. How ironic.

Her head snapped up as Harry's name was called. She only caught his modest answer to a question she could only guess; "Er- because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

Nixi prevented herself from beaming as Lupin replied, "Precisely."

That afternoon turned out to be a highly fun, amusing one for Annixia, who sat in on the class until it had ended. Snape would be furious, without a doubt, once the rumours got around.

Like Lupin didn't have enough to deal with.

When the Boggart and the class were gone, Annixia stood and leant instead on the arm of the couch, her eyes on her friend as he pushed away the wardrobe to the back of the room with his wand. He turned to smile at her.

She quirked an eyebrow, "Trying to steal my popularity, Lupin?" A smile edged at the corner of her lips as Remus turned and grinned.

"Never, Nixi, but you may have to learn to share it from now on."

Grinning, she replied immediately, "No deal. I will, however, hand it to you. That was a great lesson – wish you were my teacher when we were here – if that makes any sense."

He chuckled in response, "Thanks. Don't reckon Harry was too chuffed though." He put a hand to his creased forehead and kneaded away the lines under his flop of greying brown hair.

Annixia shrugged and stood properly, walking closer to him, "You hardly had a choice though, did you? Imagine the kind of havoc it would have wreaked with the rest of the class if Voldemort was suddenly in their mist. That wouldn't be an easy thing to laugh at, Remus. Not for anyone."

Lupin grinned suddenly, "I dunno about that, I seem to remember you winding up a certain Death Eater by poking fun at their master."

"Yeah well, Malfoy really needed to realize that the whole hero worshiping of a psychotic murderer really is not attractive." She lifted a shoulder lightly as she smiled in return, her hands working as her words did.

"And gay. I recall you mentioning that it came off in a very homosexual manner." The two shared a laugh.

Nixi lifted her top slightly to reveal a light scar on her left hip. "Yeah, don't think he appreciated that too much." She smiled still, "Oh well, that's what I get for taunting a murderer when I'm unarmed."

Remus waggled a disapproving finger at her, "Silly Nixi."

Annixia couldn't help but agree.

Yes, silly indeed.

On more than the one count.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 0.4 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]**

_Mornings had never been Annixia's favourite time of day; in fact, in Nixi land, there was no such thing as a morning._

_Just extended sleep time._

_Anybody who disrespected this particular rule of Nixi land would certainly have to suffer the consequences – terrible, monstrous consequences – whilst everyone else would point and laugh at the next helpless victim._

_So you can imagine that it had to be an extra special reason for her to be up of her own free will at nine o'clock in the morning, on a Saturday none the less._

_That reason?_

_Quidditch._

_Whilst never having expressed any talent in the sport herself, Annixia found herself enraptured by the game and couldn't resist an opportunity to view the spectacular gifts exuded by others in the school; particularly the Gryffindor team._

_And that was why, on that cloudy weekend, Nixi found herself squashed in a full stand with the wind in her hair and eyes overly bright with excitement and lack of sleep. Thankful for the scarf around her neck and the company of a friend, Annixia turned to Remus and smiled, only to have her face drop as she spied behind them none other than the bane of her existence._

"_Morning Doll; dream of me?"_

_Flicking the dark hair from his stormy vision, Sirius spotted the eye roll upon Annixia's face and gave a sly smirk at his effect. _

"_Don't you have a game to be preparing for?"_

_Annixia could have rubbed sand in her eyes for finding that damn smirk attractive but instead simply gritted her teeth as she gave him a pointed look._

_He shrugged- "Suppose so. Do i get a kiss good luck?" – And winked suggestively as he leaned forward. _

_He was shocked to find she did the same, but pleased with himself as her lips grew closer. However, it was their eyes that locked, not their mouths, and Sirius found himself falling into a pool of molten gold._

_She was so beautiful..._

_It was only when she whispered to him that he became aware once again;_

"_Sirius..."_

_He licked his lips._

"_Yes?"_

_His voice was low and sensual._

_Nixi suppressed her shivers and, to his shock, pulled back sharply._

"_How about a kick get lost instead?"_

_Again, he smirked at her defiant smile, and stood as he glanced the time._

_He had to get ready._

"_Until later then?"_

_He was gone before she had any chance to retort and, whilst she huffed to herself and mumbled obscenities under her breath, her attention was soon caught by the game itself as it started._

_Ravenclaw was certainly a worthy opponent._

_With the score tied at 60 aside Annixia was stood, screaming as she cheered on their seeker (none other than the elusive Mr Black himself) and spied him zigzagging the pitch._

_Right toward her..._

_She only caught a glimpse of his mischievous smile and determined eyes before, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, his soft lips had found her crimson ones in a sweet, closed mouth kiss._

_Surprised, logic eluded her and, instead of pulling back or responding, Annixia simply stood, too shocked to move._

_When Sirius did pull away, a golden ball was flickering in his large right hand, his left clutching his broom in a steadying hold, and his silver gaze was locked with hers once again._

"_Thanks for the luck."_

_He smirked._

Sighing as she woke, Annixia again had to wipe the sweat from her brow.

This was becoming far too regular an occurrence for her peace of mind.

~*~

The school was soon abuzz with conversation over the new teaching staff and Annixia found herself tied for the primary spot of favourite teacher with Remus, something she was certainly proud of.

She had definitely become known for her bubbly personality as well as her talent however, while Malfoy and his friends raved over the state of Lupin's robes, it was Annixia's looks that were her downfall.

Many times had she found them passing degrading notes to one another or blatantly staring at her assets and many times did they find themselves spending their evenings with the caretaker Filch cleaning the boy's toilets.

Nixi would be damned to hell before she let anyone reduce her to such demeaning levels – especially a Malfoy.

Also the talk of the school was the Snape Boggart and, above that now, the Quidditch season that was fast approaching and the soon to come Hogsmeade visits.

And with that came the cold, wet atmosphere of October – made worse by the constant sweeps the Dementors made on the outskirts of the grounds. Fall had always been a favourite time of year for Annixia, but this one coming seemed to bring with it an ominous, foreboding feeling; one that her constant reminiscing certainly didn't aid.

A few weeks before Halloween, a sullen Harry, Hermione and Ron stepped into her classroom earlier than her other students, surprising her as she sat at her desk, grading fifth year homework.

"Hey guys. You're a bit eager, aren't you? Class doesn't begin for another ten minutes."

The two boys simply shrugged their response and shuffled to their desk, shoulders sagged in an expression of hopelessness. Annixia raised her eyebrows and stopped what she was doing, placing her quill on the table as Hermione huffed and slammed her rucksack on the chair on Harry's other side. The silence between the three friends unnerved her slightly.

"You guys alright?"

She glanced between the trio as they sat in silence for a little while longer. That was, of course, until a continuously growing red faced Ron exploded with;

"McGonagall's such a bitch!"

"Ron!" Hermione admonished, hissing as she reached over the black haired boy in the middle to slap his arm. Annixia simply lowered one brow and looked on inquisitively, preventing her lip from quirking in a half smile at the boy's passion.

"I'm gonna let that slip this one time Ron, but i don't want to hear you disrespecting another staff member again, understood; especially with that type of language." The boy at least had the decency to blush a pink colour over the red and hang is head slightly. Nixi smiled slightly.

"Now, what's the professor done that's got you three so riled up, eh?" She lifted from her chair and moved around the desk to lean against the front of it, facing the trio of friends. She crossed her arms as she studied them individually until finally her eyes settled on Harry. She cocked her head in questioning.

Harry sighed, ran a hand through his already tousled dark hair, and slouched in his seat before sighing and mumbling out, "It's Hogsmeade at the end of the month and my permission slip's not signed so McGonagall won't let me go. I'll be the only third year in the entire school not going!"

"_Lily, calm down, it's not that big of a deal."_

"_Yes, it is, Nixi! Because of that stupid pratt head Potter no guy is ever going to ask me to the dance! I'll be the only third year in the entire school not going!"_

Emerald eyes in both past and present flashed before her vision and Annixia had to shake her head to get rid of the past, once again.

It seemed as if she was being haunted both day and night now.

"Well that's just the rule guys, even when i was here that's how it went down. It's not McGonagall's fault." She sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand, a headache having erupted there from a sudden onslaught of helplessness. She wished there was something she could do to help, anything. But the truth was that she wasn't a guardian nor could she act in her Godmotherly duties.

No. All she had was her teacher face. And that was all she could offer.

"I'm sorry you don't get to go this time, Harry, really, i am. But there will be plenty of other opportunities for you to go and explore the town, i promise you that. It sucks now, i know, but you'll get your chance." The door opened and students began chattering their way inside.

Smiling cheekily, she leant further forward and said in a lower voice, "Besides, if you really wanted to, I'm sure you could find a way, Harry. You are a Potter, after all." And with a wink she went to her lesson.

"Settle down please class; settle down!"

~*~

The day of Hogsmeade had arrived and, since neither had pulled watch duty, Annixia and Remus decided to have a cup of coffee in his classroom – well, she would have coffee, Remus was too wussy for the strong stuff and had to stick to milky tea.

"My stomach is sensitive at this time of the month, thank you very much." He had spoken in defence when she called him on it. She snorted into her cup and jibed back;

"Do you have any idea just how much of a girl you sound, Lupin? And i thought i was bad."

Remus laughed out loud.

"You are! Remember that time James serenaded Lily from the balcony window of your dorm and you damn near pushed him off his broom because it was that time of the month?"

Annixia defended herself through a grin, the coffee clutched warm in her hands. "Well it was seven in the morning on a Sunday and he couldn't hit a note for the sake of the world! What was i suppose to do?"

Rolling his blue eyes, Remus grinned and sipped from the nectar of sarcasm as he replied, "Oh i don't know – how about not shove him while he's hundred feet in the air?"

Nixi shrugged and quirked her lips, "The man was asking for it!"

"Ha! You gave him concussion!"

"And I'd do it again if i had to!" The two friends grinned to one another but stopped speaking as they heard a noise outside the door. Remus stood to investigate and it wasn't long before he was walking back through the door, Harry in tow, speaking of water demons as he gestured to the tank in the corner.

"Bragging about your Grindylow again, Remus?"

The two men turned to face her and smiles were shared before Harry lifted a hand in greeting, "Alright Professor Dexter?"

She sipped from her mug, "Not bad, thanks Harry, and you?"

"I'm good, thanks. Just bored."

Annixia nodded in understanding and gestured to the seat beside her as Remus took his former one on the other side of the desk, lifting the kettle as he asked Harry, "Tea? We were just enjoying a hot drink."

"All right." He replied awkwardly. Nixi grinned in an attempt to ease him.

"There's only tea bags, I'm afraid." She began, "But I'm gonna assume you've had enough of tea leaves for now?" She smirked cheekily as Lupin began boiling the kettle, her eyes twinkling as she and her old friend exchanged an amused look. Harry looked between the two.

"How did you know about that?"

"Professor McGonagall told us," Lupin answered, passing him a cup of steaming tea, "You're not worried, are you?"

"No." His face contorted as thoughts played across his eyes. "Yes." He said suddenly, putting down his mug as he came straight out with it, "You know that day we fought the Boggart?"

Annixia sipped her coffee and let the scene unfold before her. Lupin seemed to be cautious about entering this line of questioning and so answered slowly, "Yes."

"Why didn't you let me fight it?" He certainly obtained James' abruptness.

"I assumed, had i let you fight it, the Boggart would have taken the shape of Lord Voldemort."

Harry sat there for a moment, shocked by the fact that, not only had the professor said Voldemort's name but Miss Dexter hadn't even blinked at it. Remus then continued, "Obviously i was wrong," He frowned, "But i didn't think it would be a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialise in the middle of the staff room. I imagined that people would panic."

Annixia had to hold back a snort. Lupin certainly had a way of understating things.

"I did think of Voldemort first," Harry began, "But then I remembered those Dementors..."

Closing her eyes, Annixia tried not to imagine what Harry thought of when approached by those terrible creatures – hoped that the fear he faced wasn't anything close to the pain she felt when she thought of his parents.

"Well, well, that's very impressive Harry. It seems what you fear most is – fear. That's very wise."

Harry gulped down some tea and suddenly Annixia's headache was back. Swallowing down the rest of her drink she placed the cup on the desk and stood, the eyes of the two males in the room following her form.

"Thanks for the coffee Remus, and the conversation. But, unfortunately my dears, there is a pile of timelines on my desk in need of grading, so i'll see you both at dinner. Ok?"

Remus shot her a concerned look as Harry smiled his goodbye. "Are you alright, Nix, you look a little pale."

Annixia shot him a smirk, "Look who's talking. Take care of your sensitive stomach, won't you Remus?" She winked as he grinned at her cheek.

"See you soon, Annixia."

"Bye boys." She heard to goodbyes as she exited the room, passing Snape on the way who carried with him a steaming goblet. She winced.

Maybe Lupin's tummy really was as queasy as he said.

~*~

Later that evening, having downed a relief potion for headaches found in her bathroom cabinet, Annixia skipped into the Great Hall and found her way to the seat next Remus and Hagrid, speaking about everything and anything and just having a good time.

The food was stunning as always and the company better; not to mention the smile on Harry's face was enough to light her up for the week.

That was, of course, until she was called from her room that night by Dumbledore himself and marched up to the Gryffindor Tower, an all too familiar route, along with Professor McGonagall.

Curious and concerned, they pushed through the swamp of students to the normally full to the brim portrait that guarded the tower- only there was no guard.

Lupin and Snape arrived quickly after and Dumbledore turned to the select members of his staff.

"We need to find her. Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

Tiredness had swept from Nixi's mind and her alertness was not helped by the resounding cackle of none other than Peeves himself. "You'll be lucky!"

"What do you mean, Peeves?"

Wickedly, the poltergeist delved into his story, with far too much glee, "Ashamed, Your Headship, sir. Doesn't want to be seen. She's a horrible mess. Saw her running through the landscape up on the fourth floor, sir, dodging between the trees. Crying something dreadful." He grinned. "Poor thing." He added without conviction.

"Did she say who did it?" Dumbledore asked as Annixia tightened her silk robe, ignoring as best she could the stares from the male population. She stepped back to Remus' side, shielded by his tall frame for which she was thankful. Used to this sort of deal from the old days, he shot her a comforting smile.

"Oh yes, Professorhead," Said Peeves, "He got very angry she wouldn't let him in, you see." He flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 0.5 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]**

Annixia's shock had been immediate, her pupils dilated and her face paled slightly beneath its constant bronze tan. If not for Remus' presence and unwavering support at her side, she might have lost her state of mind.

As it was, Dumbledore sent the Gryffindor students down to the Great Hall for sleep that night, followed shortly by the rest of the school, whilst he sent each teacher in a different direction to search the castle.

While this was the best way to handle the situation, Nixi was sure, what she would do if she was the one to find him – she hadn't a clue.

Sirius Black, her murdering ex fiancé, was in the castle.

How exactly was a person supposed to feel about that?

Dumbledore turned to her after assigning the other teachers. His kind blue eyes twinkled down at the small woman beside him, concerned by the lack of attention in her usual alert and conscious stance.

"Annixia, should i ask you to scour the Astronomy Tower and surrounding area would you be able to do so? I realize that the situation for you is difficult and i do not wish to be insensitive-"

She shook her head and snapped out of her daze, "No Headmaster, it's fine. If i see him then I'll send my Patronus, if not then I'll report back to you in the Great Hall when I'm done." She sent him a shaky smile.

"Very well; take care of yourself, Miss Dexter."

She smoothed out her smile and nodded, "Thank you, sir. Will do."

~*~

Later, alone in the in the dark confines of the Astronomy Tower, Annixia turned her illuminated wand this way and that, searching for any glimpse or track of a man who should have been just a distant memory to her.

Should have been – but wasn't.

Every ounce of energy she possessed was going into keeping her wand hand steady and her steps in alignment, lest she charge head first over the balcony or into a wall. That meant that she hadn't the ability to prevent any of the thousand thoughts swarming her mind's boundaries.

She was so torn – on the one hand she was sure, should he be caught, her dreams might let her rest; she could find peace and justice would be done for her friends, herself, her Godson.

And yet, if he _was_ caught...

The man she loved, the murderer, who sold her best friends to Voldemort and left Harry without parents, had been so close to her and, instead of the scared, frightened anger she should be feeling, all she picked up on was disgust:

Disgust at herself for wanting nothing more than to be in his arms.

What had happened to the playful Marauder who had stolen her heart without her notice, who held her in the night, who kissed away the fear and the pain and would do anything to save the ones he loved.

The most loyal man she had ever known.

Where had it all gone wrong?

~*~

It was around three in the morning when Annixia made her way to the Great Hall, the headache back and raging, her eyes tired and yet her mind far too clustered to find any sort of relaxation. Approaching Dumbledore and Snape who were speaking in low tones close to the sleeping place of Ron, Hermione and Harry, she tightened the robe around her body once more and stepped in between the two, now silent, men.

"Any news, Miss Dexter?" Dumbledore asked gently, his hands folded behind his back as he rocked back and forth on his heels.

"I'm afraid not, Sir. None of the other portraits claim to have seen anything unusual either. Aside from the flight of the Fat Lady, it's like he was never here." She sighed and rubbed her temples. This headache was doing nothing for the current situation.

"I expected as much. Perhaps you should get some sleep, Annixia, you look awfully tired." The old man suggested and, while Nixi was sure he was right and appreciated the concern, she knew it would do no good.

So she shook her head, "Thank you, professor, but i don't think I'd be able to; not tonight. If you don't mind, I'd rather patrol the hall, make sure things go smoothly."

The Headmaster nodded, "If you are sure..."

Annixia nodded resolutely, "I am." She said clearly, and then added in a lower tone, her eyes drooping slightly as her lips quirked in a sad smile, "I could use the distraction."

Dumbledore, worried for the woman before him, mirrored her smile and replied softly, "Your help is certainly appreciated. Now, if you don't mind, i must go and report to the Dementors. I said i would do so when the search is complete."

"Goodnight." She replied and began her pacing around the rows of students, envying their undisturbed sleep and peaceful faces without the lines or worry etched in their brows.

She sighed.

To be young. That was something that, despite her relative youth, Annixia almost forgot at times such as this.

What she would give for the days...

~*~

The teachers had been given orders the next day to, at any time possible, keep as many eyes as feasible on Harry, lest a repeat occur of the other night.

Annixia, worried for his safety and yet challenged by the notion that Harry would more than likely reject the idea of being tailed, found herself in a pickle. While any opportunity to spend more time with Harry was one she would gladly jump at, this was not the way she wanted it to be.

So, imagine her shock and happiness when the boy himself appeared in her classroom one evening, by himself, hair ruffled and glasses slightly askew. From her star gazing seat on the floor in the middle of her room, she took one look at his bothered expression and motioned to the space next to her.

"Cop a squat, Harry."

Sighing, he placed his bag on the table nearest the door and smiled tiredly as he made his way over to her, collapsing in the spot next to her, cross legged, turned so they faced one another.

She shot him a sympathetic smile. "Tough day?" She waved her wand and a large bar of Honeydukes chocolate and two cups of tea found themselves before the two companions. She handed him the mug and broke off some chocolate.

He took the offered sweet and answered, "Tough week."

Understanding, she nodded slowly and sucked on the chocolate block of her own, letting it melt in her mouth. She asked simply, "Sirius Black?"

"I get that everyone's worried because he's after me and everything, and i know that he's dangerous, especially since he's been in and out of the castle almost undetected. But does that really mean i have to be followed everywhere? It's been ages since I've had some time by myself."

Annixia smiled and downed some tea as she quirked an eyebrow, "And when you finally do get that opportunity, you decide to spend it with a teacher under orders to look out for you?"

The two shared a grin of irony and munched more chocolate, "Guess i felt like a change of pace. Besides, you kind of have a calming sort of presence; it's relaxing."

She released a quiet snort, "Well that's good to know. I take it Professor McGonagall had a word with you then?"

"Mhmm." Harry nodded, sipping from his cup as he glanced the woman in front of him, noting the twinkle dancing in her eyes. There was something very maternal there...not quite in the same way Mrs Weasley was, but more of the way an aunt would act. Well, any aunt that wasn't Petunia, that is. "I have to be supervised at all times."

"But you're still allowed to play Quidditch, right?" She smiled in amusement as he looked at her curiously.

"How did you know that?"

"Minerva and i were talking earlier. I was just saying what a shame it would be if Gryffindor lost out on the cup once again." Again, they grinned at each other.

"Thanks." He said, taking more chocolate.

"No problem. Besides, I'm sick of the smug look Snape keeps sending me every time the subject's brought up. We need some kind of saving grace."

Harry smiled and cocked his head slightly, "You play?"

Annixia laughed outright at the comment, "Oh Gods no, I'm terrible with heights. I enjoy watching it though, always have. Lily used to call me a lunatic; i got so into the game." The smile remained at the many memories in her mind.

Harry's brow knitted in curiosity, "Lily Evans? You knew my mum?"

Sipping a little more tea, she nodded slightly, "Yeah, we were pretty good friends back in the day." She smiled as best she could, sending him a soft look as recognition clouded his face.

"That's why you look so familiar! Hagrid gave me a photo album first year of my parents at Hogwarts, you're in a few of them!" He then looked at her curiously, his eyes sweeping her face, "You don't look that old..."

She laughed into her tea and tapped his arm in light scolding, "Cheeky! And I'll have you know i skipped a year of school, so I'm a whole year younger than you think, thank you very much."

Harry laughed. "I can't wait to tell Hermione that; you'll be her idol!" They laughed a little while longer, calming themselves before Annixia checked the clock.

"Merlin, look at the time! It's almost curfew! You'd best be getting back to the tower before Dumbledore has my head – come on, I'll walk you."

She waved her wand and the cups and sweets cleared and Harry lifted his bag onto his shoulder as they exited the room. "So, did you know my dad, too?"

Annixia, sensing dangerous territory, felt silly for being so careless in the information she had given earlier and so nodded slightly. "A little." What an understatement, seeing as the man had ended up like a brother to her.

"And Sirius Black?" Harry's voice took on a sour note, his voice lowering as if the word itself was poison. Annixia suppressed an ashamed shiver. More downplaying.

"I knew _of_ him." They found themselves approaching the guard of the Tower, Sir Cadogan who bowed to them as they drew closer.

"My fair lady! On what a fine night doth we meet again, and yet here you choose the company of this scurvy dog!" Annixia held back a snigger.

"Good evening, Sir Knight. I believe Mr Potter is in need of your protection tonight, so if you could?" She gestured for him to open and the silly guard stood tall, requesting as mandatory-

"Password?"

Harry, grinning still, answered, "Round Table."

The knight mumbled and the portrait swung forward, allowing them entrance. Nixi turned to Harry and put her hands on his shoulders that were taller than her own. Gosh, even at thirteen the boy was a giant to her! "Right you, get in there and get some sleep! You've got a Quidditch game approaching soon." She squeezed her hands on his shoulders and smiled sweetly as he grinned back.

"Night Professor." He said, entering the portrait hole.

"Good night Harry. Sweet dreams."

~*~

The night was harsh and unforgiving, dark even in the most open of spaces. So for Sirius Black, who found himself huddled against the wall of a cave not far from Hogsmeade, it was a rock bottom moment.

He coughed, sighed and shifted position, keeping his eyes closed and head against the wall, trying to imagine the warmth only his fantasies could bring for him now. Soft arms around him, his head nestled on the chest of the one person who could soothe his soul; a dark silk curl coiled around one of his long fingers.

If he thought hard enough he could almost feel her breath warm across his cheek, flitting through his hair as she slept beside him, moulded into his form.

What he'd give for just one more chance...

He took in a deep breath, trying to draw from the strength she had provided him with for so long, and allowed his hunger to overtake him as unconsciousness attempted to cloud him.

He let it, his thoughts lingering on the woman who meant the world to him, who thought he was a murdering traitor.

"If you only knew the truth, Annixia Dexter. If you only knew..."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own the plot and Annixia, nothing more :-( same goes for every chapter :D**

**Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 0.6 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]**

Not a week later and Remus was recovering from his moonlight sessions, weak and huddled in his office Annixia was told not to enter but leave food on the other side of the door. How she hated the idea of him being so alone in that room.

The rest of the school was buzzing with the excitement of the upcoming Quidditch match: Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff and Annixia couldn't help the feeling of familiarity welling up inside of her. She'd even managed to find her old Gryffindor scarf buried at the very bottom of her trunk and a button that stated the swirling words 'Snatch that Snitch!'

Nixi shoved the thought of the man who had given it to her to the back of her mind and instead concentrated on the fact that it was Harry she was now supporting – her Godson.

He had visited her room a couple more times, just to have a quick chat about anything – be it homework, Ron and Hermione, the other teachers. The day before she had been graced with the presence of a very frustrated Potter and a long tirade about none other than Severus Snape, not to mention a few choice words about his essay assignment.

"Can you believe that greasy git?!" He had thrown up his hands as he paced her classroom while she sat, listening patiently and watching in amusement as he ruffled his hair.

"Harry." She warned half heartedly. Again, she was used to hearing people insult Snape, it seemed to have been a trend passed among the generations, but still, she was a teacher and no matter how she herself felt about the man a student wasn't allowed to speak in such a way about the potions master.

"Sorry." He flung out carelessly, pushing his glasses up slightly, "But seriously, who does that?! We haven't even finished covering Kappas and he wants two rolls of parchment on Werewolves?! By Monday! It's Quidditch tomorrow as well!! Stupid hook nosed Bast-"

"Harry." She cut him off and watched as his shoulders slumped and he relaxed slightly, taking the seat in front of her desk. She leaned across and looked at him with kind eyes and an amused lip. "I'm sure that if you talk to Professor Lupin when he comes back, you won't have to do the essay. Werewolves is a fifth year topic anyway and Professor Snape shouldn't be saying a word about them, let alone setting you homework for a class he is only substituting. I wouldn't worry about it. For now, if i were you, i would be getting some sleep. It's a big day tomorrow."

She pulled on her scarf and he grinned at her. There was nothing like Quidditch for clearing the mind.

While Harry had gone back to his dorm sedated and calmer than before, Annixia found herself worked into a slight tizzy. Who the hell did Snape think he was?

Before she knew it, Annixia had found herself walking into the potions room, uninvited, to see Severus sat at his desk, bent over some lime green sample as he graded a paper before him. His beady dark eyes shifted upwards as he spied a small womanly figure approaching him.

"Ah, Miss Dexter, to what do i owe the pleasure?" His sarcasm was childish and almost tangible, so much so that Annixia didn't prevent the eye roll that followed the comment.

"What, exactly, are you playing at?" She hissed, her voice low as she stood on the opposite side of his desk, hands spread as she leant forward so their faces were closer.

"Excuse me?" Annixia didn't miss the flicker his eyes made to her cleavage and so stood straighter, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You heard. Teaching third years about werewolves, setting homework on how to recognise them; on what signs to look for! I understand your wanting of the Dark Arts post, i get your dislike for Remus, i can even venture a guess at your mistreatment of him; however, that does not and will not condone malicious behaviour with the intent of exposing a personal subject of a staff member! That is out of line and you have no right!"

Her voice had been sharp and at a slightly higher volume than usual. She was not surprised to hear Snape's reply almost whispered; "And you have no right to tell me how to conduct myself! What i wish to teach is my business-"

"Not when the subject isn't yours and the pupils are too young to be learning what you have to say! Third years, Severus – Werewolves are a subject dictated to fifth year and above and, despite you talent in potion making and duelling, you haven't the authority to change the curriculum; personal vendettas be damned!" Her eyes flashed, a danger sign Snape knew he should be wary of.

It wasn't often Annixia Dexter was angry, but when she was you had better run for cover. However, Severus would not let it go.

"Do you have any idea the danger the students of this school are presented to while he teaches here? If parents knew-"

Annixia held back a snort as she rolled her eyes again, "Cut the crap, Snape. We both know you don't give a rat's ass about safety of the students – all you care about is your revenge and I'm here to tell you to let it go."

Snape let out a low, malicious laugh. Was she serious?

"Let it go?" He hissed, rising to his feet, "Let it go? I suffered years of abuse and humiliation at the hands of that man and you expect me to simply let it go?"

Calming slightly, Annixia dropped her arms and resumed her animated speaking as her voice returned to normal levels, the calm in it slightly unnerving, "Your biased is unfounded, Severus. Remus never did anything to hurt or humiliate you."

"Ah, but he did nothing to stop it." He stalked closer to her, looking down at her tiny frame which did nothing to hinder the intimidation in her gaze. But Severus was not easily intimidated, "None of you did. Gryffindor's Golden Girl – everywhere you went people bowed to you, kissed the ground you walked on. It was pathetic. And those stupid friends of yours, Lupin included, how funny it was to bully those deemed lesser than you."

It was hard, even now, to hear that kind of truth for Annixia. She had never bullied Snape, but she could certainly have done more to prevent it.

"It's about time they got a taste of their own medicine."

Looking up in disbelief, Annixia struggled to grasp what she was hearing; "A taste of their own medicine?" Her brow rose and the anger came back, full force, "You speak to me of having no idea- no idea what it's like to be a victim. Fine, maybe you're right, maybe not. I don't know. What i do know is that the man you claim to be in need of punishment has suffered just as much in his lifetime, if not more, than you have and still has to suffer today at the hands of child who cannot even begin to grasp the ways in which the adult world runs."

She turned on her heal and approached the door with her head held high. As she opened it, Annixia turned around to add one last, stinging comment; "Here's a clue Snape: Men like you, snide and vicious, they die the same way they lived. Alone."

And, on Snape's angry and pale face, she slammed the dungeon door.

~*~

The match the next day certainly didn't go as well as others hoped: Hufflepuff won after Harry encountered Dementors on the pitch and fell from a height of over a hundred feet. Annixia had felt the fear of losing a loved one many times and when she saw Harry plummet – her heart jumped to her throat.

Dumbledore, angered beyond belief, had saved Harry before turning on the Dementors and marching them straight off the grounds. Her worry bordering on panic, Annixia had tabs kept on the youngest Potter and even visited passed hours just to make sure he was alright. She was shocked to find him awake.

"Professor Dexter?" His voice was croaky and he had a few scratches on his handsome face but otherwise seemed fine. Annixia could have cried her relief.

"Hey you." She shuffled into the chair by his bed and grabbed his hand. "How you feeling?"

His laugh became a cough as he sat up and Annixia hurried to pour him some water, handing it over as Harry smiled gratefully. "I've been better."

"You've looked it too." She grinned to let him know she was kidding. The smile soon became more sympathetic, "I heard about your broom. I suppose there's no chance of fixing it?"

Sombrely, he shook his head, "Nah, it flew right into the Whomping Willow."

Nixi smiled, "Good job you're not a chaser then, your aim sucks."

Despite himself, Harry grinned. "Guess so. I heard Dumbledore was really angry..." He trailed off and Annixia filled in the blanks.

"Furious is more like it. I've never seen Dementors flee like that before – after what they did to you though, i can hardly blame him." Her hand tightened automatically around Harry's and he found himself touched by her concern and yet nowhere near as awkward as he thought it should have been.

There was that maternal feeling again, as if she were a concerned aunt holding his hand and not a teacher. How strange.

But another thought wandered across his mind. "Professor, how did Dumbledore make the Dementors go?"

Confused by the question but not unwilling to answer, she replied, "The Patronus Charm – it's an incantation that creates a shield of happiness and, instead of the Dementor feeding off you, it feeds off of your Patronus. Why do you ask?"

For a moment, Harry entertained the idea of not telling her, should he sound stupid trying to explain, but found his mouth forming the words before his mouth could. "I want to learn how to protect myself."

Annixia knitted her brow in concern, "Harry..."

"It's not that i don't feel safe or anything, it's just that even with Dumbledore keeping them out, they find away to get to me; only me. I can't be caught off guard like that – i can't handle anymore of the screaming."

His eyes became far away as confusion swept through her. "Screaming? What screaming?" Annixia, though she had asked, wasn't sure she wanted to hear the answer. Steeling herself the best she could, she braced for the reply.

"My mum. I hear my mum in my head; begging for Voldemort not to kill me. It echoes and i can't get it out." He looked right through her as, to his chagrin, the emerald eyes welled up, "I can't go through that anymore."

Biting her quivering lip, Annixia shuffled forward and stroked a hand through his hair. "Get some sleep, sweetheart. We'll talk more tomorrow, for now, you need some rest."

Harry just nodded and slumped down, allowing his shoulders to relax and letting the motherly fingers through his hair drift him into another world.

When he was fast asleep, Nixi wasn't sure how, but she made it to her room in one piece. Once there however, her knees gave out and she collapsed to the floor, tears of pure pain and sorrow paving their way down her face.

~*~

That Monday Harry was back, and so was Remus, which meant that Annixia's brave face was back on and her smile, so natural before that weekend had come back full force. She couldn't do it. She had to be strong; that much she owed to Lily, James and Harry.

When Nixi had recounted to Remus her conflict with Snape after the conversation with Harry, he had thanked her, laughed, and said he was sorry he'd missed it.

"You always were a little firecracker when you got going."

She also spoke to him about the Dementors and what Harry had said to her. She warned him that Harry might approach him about the Patronus and to be ready when he does. Also, should he say yes, she would be more than willing to help.

Christmas was fast approaching and the weather reflected this as the frost began to cover the ground. Her classroom, in need of a little decoration, found itself with two occupants that weekend, hanging tinsel and baubles around the pictures and Christmas tree in the corner.

"Tell me again how i got roped into helping you with this?" Remus asked through the pins in his mouth from the top of a ladder, leaning down to take the red tinsel from Nixi's hand. She grinned up at him as he winced, having poked his tongue on a needle end.

"I think it had something to do with Honeydukes for Christmas, right?"

Remus smiled, "Ah yes. Well, now I'm beginning to think that it's not worth it. Ow!" He sucked the finger he just pricked and pouted as Annixia grinned.

"Ok then, how about because you love me? That's gotta be a good enough reason if i ever heard one."

Lupin sighed in fake drama and began making his way down the ladder, "I suppose that'll do." He grinned wickedly as she lashed a hand out to contact his arm.

"Hey, watch it, Wolf, or that pin won't just be pricking your finger!"

Remus raised his eyebrows at that comment and they looked at one another for a moment before laughing at the situation. "I meant your eyes, you dirty old hag. Mind out of the gutter, thank you very much."

Lupin nodded and chuckled, "Sure you did."

She rolled her eyes as a knock sounded at the door. Adjusting the ribbon round her neck she shouted out from across the classroom. "Come in!"

Harry's head poked around the door. "Is it safe?" He grinned as his emerald eyes twinkled. Remus appeared next to her and shouted back, "Is it ever?"

She hip bumped him and gestured a happy Harry through the way. "What can i do for you?"

His eyes shifted between the two teachers of his, noting the smiles and cheerful faces they both held made him warm inside as he thought of his own friends.

"It's just-" He began, moving further in as he shuffled awkwardly. How was he going to word it again? "Remember that conversation we had in the hospital wing?" He continued at her nod, "I was just wondering if, maybe, when you get time..." He trailed off slightly and Remus tilted his head in questioning.

Harry chose another avenue, "On the train, you made that Dementor go away." Remus nodded, "I was just thinking, maybe you could teach me how to make them go away."

Remus smiled sadly, "There was only one that night."

Annixia looked at Harry's nervous borderline desperate face. "But you made it go away."

Looking between the two men, she replied, "We're no experts in fighting Dementors, Harry, and we don't pretend to be."

Harry gulped and answered, "But if they attack again, i need to be able to protect myself, especially during Quidditch. Could you please both help me?"

The two adults shared a look of quick conversation and so, for the both of them, Lupin answered, "We'll try and help, but it'll have to wait till next term. I chose a very inconvenient time to fall ill, I'm afraid."

The three of them all grinned, for different reasons no doubt, and Annixia stepped in cheekily, "Under one condition, however."

Harry nodded eagerly, "Anything."

Annixia grinned wickedly, "Pick up a pin, tall boy. I'm gonna need help with this ribbon."

**A/N :: Thank you for those who reviewed – you are fantastic!! I seriously appreciate it :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: If Sirius was mine, I would not share.**

**A/N: Don't hate me? I know it's been FOREVER since I updated but when I began there was pretty much zero interest in this story – so I sort of put it on the shelf. Only now there is interest on this site so here you go - an update! :D I hope you all enjoy…**

**What inspired me to really start up again though is the fact that I started a new story on this site – a Jacob Black one :) if you fancy it give it a go, I'm really enjoying writing that one too :) **

**I won't keep you any longer – here it is, chapter 7…**

**Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 0.7 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]**

_'Hogsmeade this weekend?'_

_Rolling her eyes, Annixia shifted her gaze from the note before her to the direction it came from, right to the silver eyed boy whose stare pierced her to the marrow of her bone and burned her insides._

_Pointedly, she withdrew the piece of Botts Bubble Gum Blast from between her parted lips and screwed the paper up around it, tossing it with perfect precision in the trashcan at the side of the History classroom._

_Professor Binns noticed nothing._

_She looked back at Sirius to find him laughing as he shook his head before scribbling something else on a piece of paper and sending it her way. _

_He smiled at her and she looked at him sceptically before unfolding it._

_'Hogsmeade this weekend?'_

_Despite herself, Annixia grinned. He just didn't give up, did he?_

_Lily peered over her shoulder and spied the writing; scoffing she rolled her eyes._

_"That arsehole; why can't he just give it up and move on already?"_

_Annixia laughed quietly and answered, _

_"What? And take Potter with him?"_

_Lily grinned and nodded,_

_"Precisely."_

_The redhead stole the note and tore it into four before adding it also to the bin at the side of the room. Sirius certainly wasn't her favourite person, she found his playboy ways insulting and the innuendos he made to her friend pathetic and insincere._

_She looked at Sirius, whose eyes were once again locked on Anni, her best friend, who was giving him a pointed 'take a hike look.'_

_Another note:_

_'Hogsmeade this weekend?'_

_Annixia rolled her eyes and, as her luck would have it, the bell rang, signalling the end of lesson. She packed her books away slowly, waving a quick goodbye to Lily who had to jet to meet Professor Flitwick for extra charms – the only subject she struggled at._

_Lost in thought, Annixia didn't notice the empty room around her until she had finished clearing the table._

_"She really doesn't like me, does she?"_

_Well, almost empty._

_Turning, she found a lounging Sirius leant against his desk, turned towards the aisle, watching her as she went about her business._

_His ash black curtain of hair fell lightly into his stormy eyes and, lest she lose herself, Annixia avoided meeting his gaze._

_"Doesn't trust you is more to the point, actually." She answered clearly, before mumbling slightly, "And who can blame her?"_

_Sirius squinted his eyes and cocked his head to the side in questioning._

_"What was that?"_

_She didn't need to answer, he had heard her quite clearly, and as she fiddled with the ink pot in her hand he pushed off the desk and took two steps so that he was closer to her side._

_"Why don't you trust me?"_

_Despite the hurt in his eyes, Annixia couldn't hold back a creeping snort._

_"Do you really have to ask? Your track record hardly reads faithfulness."_

_Sirius, not all together shocked by the revelation, but still wounded, nodded and licked his lips, a habit of his while thinking._

_"Annixia," Her head snapped up at the sound of her full name, "How many girls have i been with since the beginning of sixth year?"_

_Nixi grasped for a number but came up inconclusive. _

_"How am i supposed to know that?"_

_"None." He answered simply, and took another step closer, "That's how many. You say my track record is the reason for your lack of trust but, since i began feeling this way for you..."_

_He trailed off and Annixia couldn't not look into his eyes. She saw something soft there, something she'd never really taken notice of before._

_She regained her wits._

_"Feeling what way, Sirius? The only feeling you've expressed towards me is attraction and you've hardly done that tastefully."_

_Her cynical eyes swept over his tall frame; compared to her small five foot, his six two stance was certainly intimidating, and yet nothing about Sirius made her cower._

_He lifted a large hand to her face and brushed back a lock of hair._

_For a moment her mind went to his soft lips on hers, the memory of the Quidditch match fresh in her mind as his skin connected with hers._

_"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be rude. I've just never..."_

_Again, he let the sentence hang and Nixi couldn't bring herself to look away from those imploring silver orbs._

_"You've never what?" She sighed as Sirius couldn't find the words. Without the answer she pulled back and picked up her things, still talking as she went, "You know what worries me most Sirius? I think that, if i were ever to say yes to Hogsmeade, you would lose interest in a second. Because, let's face it, while you may like the way i look, your main awareness is the chase and once that's over so would we be."_

_He stared her straight in the eyes._

_"Do you honestly believe that?"_

_Sighing in defeat, she approached the door of the classroom, able to think clearer now she was further from him._

_"Honestly? Just like you don't know what you feel, Sirius, i don't know what i believe anymore."_

Shaking her head, she rid herself of that vision and found the hallucination of her younger romances gone, an empty classroom in its place.

Sighing, Annixia adjusted her sitting position so her legs were stretched, wincing at the pins and needles that pricked her veins. The wrapping paper before her wound its way around Remus' Christmas present; a trunk that held a hundred compartments but was lighter than air and shaped like a brief case, which held inside it a fluffy toy wolf.

Annixia was proud of this particular buy.

And as promised, by her side, was a wrapped bar of Honeydukes finest.

The halls were quiet as it was a Hogsmeade visit and she enjoyed the golden silence for as long as she could. How long had it been since she'd found any peace in this place? For a moment she wandered where Sirius was, what he was doing, if he had any more tricks up his sleeve, but shoved that to the back of her mind.

That had become a taboo for her. Regulating her thoughts was certainly becoming a challenge.

Instead, she turned her mind to her Godson and wondered vaguely what he was doing all by his lonesome in the castle.

She grinned wickedly.

If he was anything like his father then maybe it would be best if she didn't know...

In truth Harry had found himself beneath the table in the Three Broomsticks, listening to a very interesting conversation indeed.

"Do you know, i still have trouble believing it," said Madame Rosmerta thoughtfully, "Of all the people to go over to the dark side, Sirius Black was the last i would have thought ...i mean, i remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you told me then what he was to become, i'd have said that you'd had too much mead."

"You don't know the half of it, Rosmerta," Said Fudge thoughtfully, "The worst he did isn't widely known."

"Worse than murdering all those poor people?"

Fudge nodded to Rosmerta's question and she paled slightly, "What could be worse?"

Professor McGonagall intervened, "You say you remember him at Hogwarts, Rosmerta; do you remember who his best friend was?"

"Naturally," She said with a light laugh, "Never saw one without the other, did you? The number of times i had them in here – ooh, they used to make me laugh, quite the double act, Sirius Black and James Potter!"

Harry almost choked on his own spit. Ron kicked him as he dropped his tankard.

"Precisely," Said McGonagall, "Black and Potter. Ringleaders of their little gang. Both very bright, of course – exceptionally bright, in fact – but i don't think we've ever had such a pair of trouble makers..."

"You'd have thought them brothers!" Claimed Flitwick, "Inseparable!"

"Of course they were," Said Fudge, "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily. Then they named him Godfather to Harry. Harry has no idea, of course. You can imagine how it would torment him."

"Because Black turned out to be in league with You-Know-Who?" Whispered Madame Rosmerta.

"Worse even than that, m'dear..." Fudge rumbled in a low voice, "Not many people are aware that the Potters knew You-Know-Who was after them. Dumbledore, who was of course working tirelessly against You-Know-Who, had a number of useful spies. One of them tipped him off and alerted James and Lily at once. He advised them to go into hiding. Well, of course, You-Know-Who wasn't an easy person to hide from. Dumbledore told them that their best chance was the Fidelius Charm."

Flitwick explained the charm and the purpose of a Secret Keeper.

"So Black was the Potters' Secret Keeper?" Whispered Madame Rosmerta.

"Naturally," Said Professor McGonagall, "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself...and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him suggesting Annixia Dexter for the job, he even volunteered himself."

Harry was confused to hear Miss Dexter's name in there.

"He suspected Black?" Gasped the barmaid.

"He was sure that somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements," Said McGonagall darkly, "Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."

"But James Potter insisted on using Black?"

"He did," Said Fudge heavily. "And then, barely a week after the Fidelius Charm had been performed-"

"Black betrayed them?" Breathed Madame Rosmerta.

"He did indeed. Black was tired of his double-agent role, he was ready to declare his support openly for You-Know-Who, and he seems to have planned this for the moment of the Potters' death. But, as we all know, You-Know-Who met his downfall in little Harry Potter. Powers gone, horribly weakened, he fled. And this left Black in a very nasty position indeed. His Master had fallen at the very moment when he, Black, had shown his true colours as a traitor. He had no choice but to run for it-"

"Filthy, stinkin' turncoat!" Hagrid said, so loudly that half the bar went quiet.

"Shh!"

"I met him!" Growled Hagrid, "I musta bin the last ter see him before he killed all them people! It was me that rescued Harry from Lily an' James ' house after they was killed! Jus' got him outta the ruins, poor little thing, with a great slash across his forehead, an' his parents dead...an' Sirius Black turns up, on that flyin' motorbike he used ter ride. Never occurred ter me what he was doin' there. I didn' know he'd bin Lily an' James' Secret Keeper. Thought he'd just heard news o' You-Know-Who's attack an' come ter see what he could do. White an' shakin', e was. I COMFORTED THE MURDERIN' TRAITOR!"

"Hagrid, please." McGonagall cut in, "Keep your voice down."

He then went on to describe how Sirius wanted to take Harry but was refused, how he was his Godfather, how he handed over his bike before escaping into the night.

"But he didn't manage to disappear, did he?" Rosmerta said quietly, "The Ministry of Magic caught up with him the next day!"

"Alas, if only we had." Said Fudge bitterly, "It was not we who found him. It was little Peter Pettigrew – another of the Potters' friends. Maddened by grief, no doubt, and knowing that Black and knowing that Black had been the Potters' Secret Keeper, he went after Black himself."

"Hero worshiped Black and Potter," Said Professor McGonagall. "Never quite in their league, talent-wise. I was often rather sharp with him. You can imagine how i – how i regret that now..."

"There now Minerva, Pettigrew died a hero's death. Eye-witnesses – Muggles, of course, we wiped their memories later – told us how Pettigrew cornered Black. They said he was sobbing. 'Lily and James, Sirius! How could you!' And then he went for his wand. Well, of course, Black was quicker. Blew Pettigrew to smithereens. I was Junior Minister in the Department of Magical Catastrophes at the time and i was one of the first on the scene after Black murdered all those people. I'll never forget it. Still dream about it sometimes. A crater in the middle of the street, so deep it had cracked the sewer below. Bodies everywhere. Muggles screaming. And Black standing there, laughing, with what was left of Peter in front of him...a heap of blood-stained clothes and a few fragments-"

Fudge stopped abruptly.

"Is it true Black's mad, Minister?"

"I wish i could say so," Said Fudge slowly, "I certainly believe his master's defeat unhinged him for a while. Yet i met Black on my last inspection of Azkaban. You know, most prisoners in there sit muttering to themselves in the dark, there's no sense in them... but i was shocked at how _normal _Black seemed. He spoke quite rationally to me. It was unnerving, you'd have thought he was merely bored – asked if i'd finished with my newspaper, cool as you please, said he missed doing the crossword. Yes, i was astounded at how little effect the Dementors seemed to be having on him – and he was one of the most heavily guarded in the place, you know. Dementors outside his door, day and night."

"But what do you think he's broken out to do?" Said Madame Rosmerta. "Good gracious, Minister, he isn't trying to rejoin You-Know-Who, is he?"

"Eventually," McGonagall answered, "For now however Dumbledore has concerned himself the safety of Annixia Dexter, you remember her?"

"Of course i do." Said Rosmerta, "Lovely little thing, always smiling. Black was infatuated with her."

"Yes well, when the first war was raging they were engaged, and she was, of course, Lily Potters' best friend and so Harry's Godmother. Tore her apart, what Black did. I remember her, shaking and pale, nearly fainted when she heard. Her best friends were dead, her Godson orphaned and her fiancé a murderer. " McGonagall finished.

"You think he'll go after her?" Rosmerta questioned.

"That night there was an attack on her also as she passed through the street near her home. She survived, obviously, a very talented witch, trained as an Auror for a while, and went straight to Dumbledore. We believe Sirius ordered the attack."

"And now he wants to finish the job?" Rosmerta gulped and worried for the poor girl.

The five adults shared an ominous look before Fudge answered quietly.

"We believe so."

Harry had heard enough and bolted for Hogwarts once again.

**Review? :) I love you all :) **

**SeedsAndMisdeeds**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I wish it was mine, but no, afraid not. **

**Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 0.8 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]**

It was mid afternoon when the door to the History of Magic classroom was thrown open, causing Annixia, who was enjoying the quiet of the circumstance and using the opportunity to read a good book, to jump in her seat.

Her head shot up from the pages and her eyes found, stood in the middle of the room, a furious Harry Potter whose green eyes flashed dangerously in her direction. Confused and concerned, Annixia slowly laid the book down on her desk and stood cautiously.

She had yet to witness the full extent of his temper and, at that moment in time, she wished that had remained the case.

"Harry, are you alright?"

A silly question, she knew, but one she found herself asking none the less. His breath was heavy and, unnerved by his behavior, Nixi kept a slight distance. And she was certainly happy she had, seeing as her query was followed by a seemingly unprecedented snap.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

His teeth were bared, his face ghostly white and the growl that was his voice quivered slightly as he forced it through his mouth.

Annixia shook her head in confusion, "I don't understand-"

"My parents, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black! You knew them! You knew everything and you never told me! You never said anything!"

Shocked, her eyebrows rose as she shielded herself from his glare. How did he know? As it was, all she could choke out was; "W-what? How did you..."

"Does it matter? I can't believe you lied to me!" He threw his hands in the air and began pacing, growling viciously under his breath.

She took an automatic step forward, "I never lied-"

Harry gave a derisive snort and mimicked her voice, "We were pretty good friends'. You told me you hardly knew my dad, that you only knew _of_ Black and really it turns out that you're engaged to the murderer!" He looked on at her in disgust, "I can't believe I trusted you. And all this time, you were his fiancée!"

"Ex-fiancée." She corrected automatically as he stopped his movement and stood before her.

"Like it makes a difference! You still loved him – the man who sold my parents to Voldemort, you lived with him! How could you not know? How was it not obvious to you? They're dead because you were too stupid to realize your boyfriend was worshipping a psycho!"

The wounds reopened, her heart began to ache as her eyes burned. She blinked back the water. Harry was on a roll though, and his unforgiving onslaught of words didn't stop there.

"Or maybe you were in on it! Of course!" He laughed, almost manically, "My Godparents, the raging lunatics that betrayed their best friends- was it worth it? How did you get away with it and he didn't? Huh?"

"Harry." She whispered, her throat closing slightly.

He stopped and looked at her, anger giving way to hurt slightly as he asked in a quieter tone, "Why didn't you want me?"

She looked up, confused through the tears, "What?"

Sighing, he ran a hand through his messy hair, "If you had taken me...my aunt and uncle, do you have any idea what they're like? What it was like growing up?" And the anger came back. "Because of you, my parents are dead and I grew up knowing nothing about who I was with people who did everything they could to stamp the magic right out of me!"

And with that he turned and stormed from her classroom. She would be damned if she let him get away though. Her own anger was creeping up: How dare he accuse her of such things? He knew nothing.

She hurried to her door and into the empty corridor, her eyes spying him at the end of the hallway. In her loudest teacher voice, she shouted to him, "Harry James Potter, you get your skinny little arse back in this classroom this instant or so help me God you will be cleaning bedpans for a month!" He stopped but didn't turn, so she continued, "That is none negotiable, Mr. Potter."

Growling, he stormed back down the corridor and past her to enter the room, sulking as he stood in the centre of the room once more.

Annixia slammed the door behind her and stalked to stand in front of him, snarling back at him, "Sit." He didn't move, but twitched slightly, "Now."

Sighing and rolling his eyes, he slumped in the closest chair, glaring up at her as she crossed her arms and stared him down.

"First thing's first, I loved your parents as if they were my family and if there was anything I could do to change what happened I would have. As for my ignorance to the behavior of my fiancé, well it was a tough time to be in love and I'll be damned if any time we got to spend together wasn't happy time. He had his own life, I never questioned that. I'm sorry if you disagree.

"As for my not wanting you, you have no idea the amount of time and energy I put into begging Dumbledore to let me have you, that it would be in your best interest. His say was final.

"Perhaps before you come storming into my classroom with accusations next time you'll gather the full story."

Harry, despite the feeling of shame and guilt ebbing at him, locked his jaw and stared at her defiantly. "Anything else?"

Licking her canine in annoyance, she snapped back, "Yes, in fact there is. I want you to know Harry, that while I am your teacher and you are my student you will respect me. That means no barging into my classroom without permission and taking out your frustrations over some half arsed told story on me. I will not tolerate that kind of blatant impertinence. Angry or not, you don't get to talk to me like that; no one does. Is that understood?"

She received a single nod in return.

Sighing she leant back on her desk, allowing the tiredness to once again claim her body. "Good." She said simply, her tone easy and clean. Harry didn't move, only watched her as she rubbed her temples and took deep breaths. A minute later their eyes connected again.

"Look, I don't know what you've heard Harry, or where you got it from, but the next time you pick up information on things that you knew nothing about to begin with, I'd prefer you to discuss it with me before jumping to conclusions. I understand the hurt and the confusion, but I can't help you if all you want to do is shout, ok?"

Exhaling, Harry slumped his shoulders in defeat and nodded, mumbling a sorry through his hands as he placed his head in them to rest.

"That's ok."

The silence stretched for a while, neither knowing what to do next, until Annixia dropped into the seat next to Harry and rubbed his arm. "You wanna tell me what happened?"

Sighing, Harry lifted his head and sat back in his seat, "I went to Hogsmeade." He paused for a scolding but didn't receive one; instead, Annixia continued to implore him with her eyes. "McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid and Fudge were speaking to a woman, telling her what Black did; what happened that night. Is he really my Godfather?" He looked helplessly to her and all she could do was nod with a sorry look. "Then how could he?" He whispered, "He betrayed them, his best friends, how could he do it?"

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Nixi shrugged helplessly, "I've been asking myself that for 12 years Harry, and I'm no closer to the answer than you are."

"What do I do now?" He asked, his eyes begging her for some kind of answer and she moved a hand to his in a comforting gesture.

"Well, in the way of dealing with Black, there's not much you can do. Just keep your head down like before and let us adults deal with it." He scoffed and rolled his eyes but she continued, "Harry, I know that you want him to hurt like you do, but right now you've just gotta sit tight – there's not much else we can do until the next sighting, I'm afraid."

Harry let out a breath and looked to the woman on his right, "He's my Godfather." She nodded to the statement, "And you're my Godmother." Again she nodded, "You wanted to look after me?" He asked hopefully and she smiled sweetly.

"Of course I did. You were like a nephew to me Harry, and when your mum died, you became the son I never had." He cocked his head to the side as a warm feeling spread through him. He _was _wanted. "I'd never dream of replacing your parents Harry, but I made a promise to Lily when you were a baby that I'd look after you, should anything happen. I never got the chance to keep that promise. However, if you let me, I'd like to start now."

Imploring gold eyes met hopeful green ones and, as Harry replied, they smiled simultaneously.

"I would like that."

They spent the rest of the night discussing James and Lily, laughing over anecdotes from the old days and discussing the serious side of the first war.

She pulled out her old photo album and they flicked through the pages, ignoring the blank spaces where Sirius' face used to grin up at her. Those had their own special place. Harry stopped her turning on the page marked the 31st of July.

On that page was a photo of 19 year old Annixia with a baby in her arms, sleeping soundly as she rocked him back and forth, her eyes twinkling as she smiled down at the child who reached out lazily to grasp her finger as he began to awake.

"Is that me?" Harry asked, his head cocked to the side as he watched the picture replay itself.

Nixi nodded as she smiled sentimentally, "Yep, the very day you were born. I remember James being so happy when he burst through the hospital doors, screaming for the world to hear that you were a boy. A healthy baby boy with your mother's eyes and your father's hair.

"You were so handsome. I watched as every person in that room handled you with such love, such care. I didn't understand at first. You were just a child; we had known you were coming for nine months for Merlin's sake. Why was everyone so awed?

"And then I held you." She closed her eyes for a moment before looking at him and smiling at his riveted expression. "And I understood. There you were, this tiny baby in my arms, and yet it was like I was holding the future. Gods were you a quiet child, got that from Lily no doubt. I remember babysitting you a few times and staying up to watch you sleep, just to make sure you were still breathing."

Her voice was quiet as she finished and they both looked at the picture in silence for a moment. When Harry spoke again, it was in a low tone, but a happy one. "I'm really glad I found you, Godmum."

She laughed lightly at the name and put an arm around his shoulders. "I'm glad you found me too, sugar. I'm sorry about the way you had to find out though. That's definitely not cool and certainly not how I imagined it going down."

Harry shrugged and stayed quiet for a moment before looking at his hands in shame. "I'm sorry." He said suddenly, and Annixia looked at him in confusion.

"For what?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it more than before.

"For accusing you earlier, what I said was out of order. I shouldn't have blamed you; I _don't_ blame you and I'm sorry for what I said."

Nixi smiled and shook her head sadly, "It's ok, Harry. You were angry, i get that. And you were right, I should have been straight with you from the beginning; but that doesn't mean you get to shout at me whenever you get angry – it doesn't work like that, ok?"

He nodded and she smiled, ruffling his hair. He pulled back with an indignant 'Hey!' and attempted to restore it to its previous mess. She snorted, grinned and rolled her eyes.

"Oh like it made a difference!"

Harry rolled his eyes and went back to the photo album, staring at the picture once more.

He had a godmother, and she wanted him.

He was wanted.

Grinning, he let the warmth spread through him. What would Ron and Hermione say?

**Thank you sooooooo much to all the reviewers – I absolutely love the fact that you enjoy this story :D:D keep talking to me; I love the feedback :) x**


	9. Chapter 9

So it's been forever, I know! I'm terrible…But I got sentimental yesterday and had a look at my old story only to realise that I'd missed tons reviews asking me to continue and I thought 'why not?' I like this story too, so here we go! Oh, and I promise to upload another one later, in an attempt to make up for complete and utter neglect! :)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! You're the reason this is up and running again! They really do make all the difference!

As usual, not mine… *sigh* if only….

Now Enjoy!

Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 0.9 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]

The next day saw the beginning of the Christmas holidays, and Annixia was certainly thankful for it; while she enjoyed her job and the people she worked with (mostly) it was definitely time for a break.

And a well-earned one at that.

Wading through nothingness as she made her way to the Defence classroom, she recalled her conversation with Remus the night before, having rushed from her encounter with Harry to divulge the news. Word for word she had recounted the story, with the appropriate 'oohs' and 'ahs' from her colleague, until, by the end of it, he had been shocked into a near panic attack.

"I don't believe it!" He exclaimed, face slightly flushed from smiling at her enthusiasm. His blue eyes were round as they watched her grin and nod in triumph.

"I couldn't either, at first. The little bugger's got a right temper on him – Lily's, no doubt. It comes from having a red head in the family." She tugged on a dark curl, allowing it to bounce back into place as she nibbled her bottom lip. Her eyes positively sparkled.

Remus shot her an unnecessarily concerned look; "But everything's ok now? You sorted it all?"

She laughed lightly and nodded in delight, "We spent half the night raiding my old photo albums actually; i told him everything i could about his parents; right down to James' lucky boxers. He seemed pretty chuffed with that. And he told me about his first and second year and how Voldemort tried to return – well, his version at least. Obviously everyone knows that basics."

Lupin nodded before a grin spread across his face, lighting up his features in the most positive of ways. "I'm happy for you, Nixi. It's about time something good came along for you. Merlin knows, you've waited long enough."

She reached over and took his hand in hers, "We both have, Remus. But hey, it's all working out." She smiled softly to him and he returned the sincere look.

"And it's about time too."

Annixia smiled to herself. Yesterday had certainly been a good day for her, but she concerned herself with the thought of her Godson – Harry, while happy to have found a family member in her, definitely had a lot to deal with at the moment.

She didn't even have to imagine how angry he was; how betrayed he felt. Because she felt it too. Every damn day.

A voice from the end of the corridor caused her to leap away from her mind for a moment and back into reality.

"Well, well, well; Miss Dexter. To what do i owe such a pleasure?"

Annixia barely suppressed a groan. Of course – of bloody course – just when her mood couldn't get better, it had to get worse. Royally so. Her head lifted and golden eyes spied silver hair as Annixia came face to face with none other than the infamous Lucius Malfoy.

And she had just gotten rid of Junior too. Damn.

"Well, that's definitely an objective phrase. I would hardly call it a pleasure, Lucius – we both know our meetings usually end in misery."

He tutted, his ice like eyes sweeping her face as the corner of his lips twitched upwards. He moved forward, walking towards her as his thoughts drifted to a different place. A very guttural place.

"Mmm, surprising as they start out with such charm." Sarcastic, his low voice took on that silky quality that sent shivers down Annixia's spine – and not the pleasurable kind.

For a fraction of a second, her mind flickered to Sirius and the low purr his tone would undertake when he spoke to her, but she pushed away the thought. Now was hardly an appropriate moment to open that door.

She shrugged in reply, resisting the temptation to step back, away from the snake who found himself only a metre before her; "Just trying to save some time."

His head cocked to the side and he stopped walking, this time evaluating her body more than her mind and face. "I'm sorry," he purred, without convincing conviction, "Am i keeping you from something?"

The lie came easily to her, slipping off her tongue like butter, "Yes, actually. I have a very important meeting to attend, so if you'll excuse me-" She gestured for him to move aside but he simply crept closer, into her personal space.

She placed her hands on her hips to resist the temptation to shove him and clicked her tongue in annoyance. His smirk simply widened. "Busy little bee, are we? Tell me, how have you been these last few months?"

Rolling her eyes, she cocked her head in annoyance – take a hint! "Occupied; who'd have thought teaching could be so time consuming?" Sniping, she let the disdain roll off her tongue with a satisfied sting.

Lucius' gaze flickered from her moving crimson lips to her liquid eyes in successive movements. How attractive she was when annoyed...

He tutted three times, "What a waste. I can certainly think of a few things better worth your attention..." Trailing off, Annixia shuddered at his suggestive look and couldn't stop her feet from moving backwards a step.

Sharply, she glared and replied, "Me too, for example, this meeting. Now, if you'll excuse me-" She didn't wait for an answer but rather swerved round him, nimble as she dodged his large frame.

"How's Potter doing?" He cut in, grinning cruelly as she whirled on the spot, her curls billowing around her with the movement, eyes ablaze.

She glared hotly, "_That_ is none of your business."

Lucius smirked, twirling the cane in his hand. "And Black?"

He resisted a grin as she bit back a growl, her hand hovering, tense, over the front pocket of her jeans where the wand that could cause so much damage rested. He knew her talent; that's why he would tread carefully.

Careful for him, anyway.

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"He never was good enough for you." Casual as his voice was, Annixia couldn't miss the insinuation.

In a biting tone, she replied, "Why don't you go home to your wife, Lucius, and give her my sympathy. Because, while you might be there to buy her pretty things and lay next to her at night, i still think i got the better end of the deal."

"And what would that be?" He snarled, knuckles turning white as he clutched tighter to the case that contained his wand.

Simply, she said, "Not you." Before turning on her heal and making her way to Lupin, leaving behind her a very unhappy Malfoy.

Later that night, Annixia couldn't stop her eyes from drooping as she sat on settee, an old Jane Austin novel clutched in her hand...

_Hogsmeade was so beautiful in the snow, so sparkling that Annixia was at a loath to walk on the ground, lest she ruin the picture perfect village._

"_Nixi, come on! We don't have all day!"_

_Rolling her eyes but smiling at the grinning red head, Anni stopped her gazing and jogged to catch up to her best friend, looping her arm through Lily's as the two companions strolled happily into the tiny town, spirits bright and faces pink and happy from the cold._

_Only an hour later the situation hadn't changed much, only the scenery, as Annixia and Lily made their way into the half crowded Three Broomsticks, laden with Christmas presents in paper bags. Grinning, they waded to a table and dumped their things, sharing a comment and giggling sweetly._

_As Nixi pushed her way to the bar, Sirius couldn't tear his eyes away from her tiny frame, watching as the curve of her hips swayed to an unknown rhythm._

"_Stare all you want mate, it won't burn holes in her clothes."_

_Snapping from his daze, Sirius turned to James and smiled slightly, sipping butterbeer from the bottle._

"_Can't blame a guy for trying."_

_He sighed sadly, playing with the sticker around the glass, picking at the label._

_James had never seen him look so sad but knew the feeling well._

_Sirius' feelings were not the only one's unrequited._

"_Why don't you try talking to her?" He suggested, eyes sliding from the elusive Miss Dexter, to her best friend, attention stolen by the gleam of her fiery hair._

_Still staring at his drink, Sirius asked bitterly,_

"_And say what exactly?"_

_James' eyes found Annixia once again and widened slightly in alarm._

"_I don't know, but you'd better say it fast. She's in need of a hero."_

_Snapping his head up, Sirius' gaze immediately went to her long dark locks and bronze skin, the iris' of her eyes a burning gold as she glared, trapped against the wall near the bathrooms by none other than Lucius Malfoy himself._

_Unable to contain his growl, the oldest Black boy stormed from his seat, pushing his way through the crowds, not caring enough to stop and see if he'd hurt or angered anyone._

_His concentration was elsewhere._

_Annixia pressed her back into the wall further, begging it to swallow her whole. Better that than be so close to a Malfoy._

"_Haven't you grown, little Annixia? You were such an awkward child, i wouldn't have recognised you if not for the eyes. Where have you been hiding yourself?"_

_He reached a hand up to finger a coil but she batted it away, glaring fiercely up at the older man as he smirked down at her._

_If there was a time when being short was an inconvenience that was certainly it._

"_Now, now; let's act like adults here, Miss Dexter. We're not children."_

_His voice was mocking her, condescending as her eyes scolded his skin. What a pretty little thing she was..._

"_Agreed. However, one of us is certainly like a snake. Tell me Lucius, what would your wife say?"_

_Like fire, her words engulfed him for a moment._

_He couldn't resist brushing a hand against her cheekbone, but she turned away instantly._

"_What she doesn't know can't hurt her."_

_From behind him, a voice interrupted Annixia's retort._

"_It's not her i'd be worried about."_

_Stepping to the side, taking advantage of Lucius' distraction, Nixi had never been so pleased to see a familiar set of silver irises._

"_Sirius..."_

_Her voice was quiet and yet he seemed to have heard her, his gaze sweeping her for injuries in a single movement. His jaw was locked and his face pale._

_He had never looked so intimidating before._

"_Black." His name was poison on Lucius' tongue and so the statement was short. "If you don't mind, this conversation is private."_

"_I do mind though, because she does." He gestured to her with a subtle movement of his eyes._

_Unsure why, Annixia felt safe under that watch._

"_And I'm sure my cousin would feel the same."_

_Sirius turned slightly, putting himself half in front of the black haired beauty, his broad shoulders and mass height shielding her._

_Security blanketed her._

"_The same about what, boy?" Lucius was not intimidated. "We were only talking."_

"_And you've done enough of that to last a life time." Sirius bit back, his anger pushing the boundaries of his self control._

_If he could just take one swing..._

_Seeing his arm twitch and knowing the intention, Annixia did the only think she could think of to prevent more trouble on her behalf._

_Sirius felt warmth swim through him as a small hand found itself intertwined with his right one, the finger pads grazing his skin in a soft, soothing motion._

_She was holding his hand._

_When he stiffened slightly in shock, she squeezed his palm gently to pull him back, glaring still at Malfoy and yet marvelling it how easy it seemed; her tiny fingers locked with his long, slender digits._

_Surprised, she found herself unwilling to let go._

_And Sirius had no intention of letting her._

_Pulling out his wand in an easy, swift movement, Lucius eyed the couple, holding the weapon at his side. He didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to them._

"_What was that, Blood Traitor?"_

_Not in the least intimidated, Sirius said simply._

"_Fuck off."_

_Malfoy's lip drew into a thin white line and anger seeped into his veins._

"_You rude, ignorant, conniving-"_

_Sparks flew from his wand and the bar went quiet as Annixia, quick as a flash, muttered 'Protego' and a shield rejected the curse._

_Hands still grasped, the two teens shared a soft look as Sirius turned to thank her with his eyes._

_Oh, how those eyes could smoulder._

"_Oi son, watch it!" Cried an older man from the corner as the owner came over to rebuke the attacker._

_Lily and James hurried over to the two of them, asking question after question about their well being._

_Not noticing, all the while, the still embracing hands._


	10. Chapter 10

The Pogues technically don't fit the timeline but I love the song so please, just pretend :P

All yours to enjoy thanks to the J K Rowling!

Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 1.0 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]

A few days later, Nixi was taking the Christmas theme to an extreme, creeping into Remus' office, which was empty for the time being, and leaving his presents by the desk, a card in her writing on top:

_Good tidings, R. J. Lupin._

_Merry Christmas, i hope you have a good one, despite the fur._

_All my__love__,_

_Nixi._

It was a tough time when transformation fell on the holiday marker, but Annixia made it work, and the chocolate would certainly help his waning spirit later.

Lupin liked his chocolate.

The rest of the school was silent and, having woken ridiculously early, she danced through the hall ways, the portraits grunting at her for disturbing their laze. She didn't care though.

It was going to be a good day. She was sure of it.

Excited as ever, Annixia received a visit from her favourite Godson later that morning, his two companions occupied by their presents back in the Common Room, his face alight with glee. She grinned at the expression.

"Harry! Merry Christmas!" She cried, finishing organising the CD's her old colleagues had sent for her as a present and standing to hug him. Slightly surprised but delighted all the same, Harry returned the embrace, amazed at how natural it seemed.

She certainly had a maternal quality to her.

"You too, Annixia. Here," He presented a gift, wrapped haphazardly in shiny paper, to her and smiled shyly as she took it, her eyes soft, "This is for you."

"Aww, Harry, you shouldn't have!" She scolded lightly as she tore away the wrapping and pulled open the small box inside. "They're beautiful!" She exclaimed, staring for a moment at the pair of gold earrings gleaming at her from their sitting position in the velvet crush.

Smiling at him, she hugged him once more. "Thank you so much. It's lovely."

Harry grinned and shrugged, happy with the find and mentally noting to thank Hermione for the help later. "S'nothing." He mumbled.

Mischievously, she danced her way around the desk and opened the top draw, pulling out a cube box, perfectly covered in decoration. "And for you, my favourite Godson."

Rolling his eyes, he retorted, "I'm your only Godson." But accepted the gift none the less. Putting it to his ear, he frowned at the faint buzzing noise that came from within the box. "What is it?" He asked, confused.

"Well, why don't you open it and find out?"

Cautiously, he tore away the paper and lifted the lid, only to come face to face with a small, golden winged ball. A snitch?

Reaching out automatically, he caught it and held it securely in his hand, peering at the engraving that shone up at him.

_From Potter to Potter._

_All my love._

Harry cleared his throat quietly, "This-" he took a breath, "This was my dad's?"

Smiling softly, Annixia nodded in affirmation, tiptoeing slightly to view it as he was. "Mhmm, he never let the damn thing out of his sight, used to drive your mum crazy. So, finally, he gave it to her like he did his heart and when she passed on, it was written she wanted me to look after it until you were old enough to understand."

He stared at the tiny ball in his hand – how did she know what he needed? What he wanted to hear?

"Thank you." His voice croaked and Annixia leant lightly on his arm in a sort of half hug.

"It was yours all along, sugar. I just looked after it for a while."

Tearing away from the snitch, he looked to her and said in a clearer, louder tone, "Thank you."

This time, Annixia nodded and smiled, "You're welcome."

Later that night, as Nixi made her way back from dinner, royally stuffed and about ready to sink into a hot bath of nothing but bubbles, she couldn't help but think on that Firebolt Harry had received, and the ominous feeling that had engulfed her when she heard.

Could have really been from Sirius? Was it even possible?

And if so, why? Surely not an attempt on his life, Sirius was never so reckless as an innocent, she doubted that had changed now.

And yet, she couldn't shake that feeling.

Was he really after Harry? Was he really out for her, as Dumbledore believed?

Would he attack their Godson, just as he had allegedly ordered for her to be on the faithless Halloween night?

She was so confused. Where had it gone wrong?

Harry was right; surely she would have seen the signs? The aimless wanderings, the distance, the mad look she had seen so often in the eyes of other Death Eaters...she hadn't caught any of it. Had it even been there?

Her mind travelled back in time, to a place where she was content in the arms of her lover as he held her with one hand and cradled Harry in the other. She had seen no power hungry gleam, nothing to indicate any ill intent to his friends and their babe.

So when had it happened? When did he snap?

Shaking her head, clearing away the thoughts, she pushed Sirius and the Firebolt to the back of her subconscious and locking them away tightly – she would let McGonagall deal with it. It wasn't her business, anyhow.

Sighing, she wished that were true.

Not even glancing her surroundings she traversed the familiar path through her classroom, the fairies whooshing around her head, and straight through to her apartment.

But stopped dead upon entrance.

"Oh. My. God."

All around her candles floated, their wax dripping underneath a red hot flame. On the bed lay two roses, one red, one white and beside them a note. From invisible speakers the lyrics to a song, so close to her heart, resounded through the room.

Their song.

The Pogues.

With shaky legs, she made her way to the bed, a hand shivering as it went to her mouth. Tears sprung to her eyes as she read the message, over and over.

_Love you till the end._

_X_

The words hit her as she curled up on her side, stared at the flowers beside her, and cried.

_'I just want to see you__  
__When you're all alone__  
__I just want to catch you if I can__  
__I just want to be there__  
__When the morning light explodes__  
__On your face it radiates__  
__I can't escape__  
__I love you till the end'_

Wrapped in a sheet of dust, Sirius thanked whatever luck he lived by that the Shrieking Shack was still standing, despite its creaking nature. Swallowing down a sneeze, he stared out of the broken window, right into the starry sky, the full moon illuminating his sharp features.

What would she be doing now? Had Harry received his gift? Did they enjoy their Christmas, warm and seemingly safe, not knowing of a danger closer than a hair away?

Did she miss him? Had she even thought about him?

Was she still the girl he had known so long ago?

His thoughts consumed him as he replayed the day in his mind; he was so exhausted now after all that decoration; the meandering through the castle undetected.

He could picture clearly in his mind James' reaction to his little mission (Nice one mate! She'll be begging for your bedside by the end of the night! Bugger, don't tell Lily i said that.) And even Lily's (Romantic? Psh. You should have set your hair alight instead of those candles; it would have been better entertainment for the rest of us.)

But Annixia's, the woman of his past and present dreams, her reaction was a lot harder to grasp. She had always been slightly unpredictable in her movements and a challenge to surprise as she was so aware of her surroundings, constantly.

She'd know it was him, of that he was sure. But would she care? Did she care at all?

Did she still love him?

Swallowing down a thousand thoughts, Sirius turned instead to the moon, and his dear friend – how would Remus be doing?

Thinking the worst of him, no doubt. And how could he blame him? The whole world thought he was a murderer.

But he didn't care about the world; only those so close to his heart, and yet so out of his reach.

Drifting off, he allowed sleep to bring him the only peace he was awarded out of the situation; memories.

_So relaxed in the Common Room was Sirius that he hadn't even noticed he was alone now, all of the other students having headed up to bed around an hour previous._

_James had detention, unsurprisingly, and Remus was still recovering from the last of his escapades._

_Who knew where Peter was?_

_Staring into the fire once more, Sirius let his thoughts carry him to the Hogsmeade trip earlier that day and the soft skin that held his own for not long enough._

_How easy it had felt. How natural._

_Her small, nimble fingers wrapped up in his hand, protected from the cold._

_He couldn't get enough contact from her._

_A cough brought him from his daydream and his head snapped to the right, the bottom of the girl's stair case to be exact, where Annixia, the object of his previous thoughts, stood, dressed in her mismatched tank top and pj trousers._

_Her hair was loose and slightly dishevelled, her eyes bright without sleep._

_She shifted her weight from one foot to the other for a while, uncomfortable under his unwavering stare for a moment, but he only blinked in response._

_What was she doing up? They had classes in the morning._

_"You're up late. Everything alright?" He broke the silence, watching as she smiled in appreciation. It wasn't often he got to see the timid side of the infamous Golden Girl and found himself intrigued by the lack of armour she had on._

_Was it a special occasion or something?_

_"Yeah, yeah, everything's good."_

_She nodded for a moment as Sirius waited for her to continue, but she didn't, so he prompted her._

_"Alright then. Is there a reason you're down here or...?"_

_A light blush crept along her cheekbones and Sirius couldn't stop the smile that affected his face._

_She cleared her throat lightly._

_"Actually yes. I just-" She gathered her breath and started again, "I just wanted to thank you for today. It was really sweet what you did, especially since you didn't have to do anything. I really do appreciate it."_

_Shrugging it off, Sirius tore his eyes away and looked instead to the fire. He saw her glide closer from the corner of his vision._

_"It was nothing."_

_She shook her head, "Not to me."_

_He turned to face her again as she stood at the end of the couch, sending her a knowing smirk._

_"I'm sure you could have handled it."_

_Smiling softly, she moved forward more so, and Sirius became curious as she stooped by his side, her eyes not leaving his._

_"Even so-" Her soft lips touched his stubble cheek in a sweet claim and he closed his eyes briefly, only just hearing her whispered thanks again before she bid him goodnight and retreated back up the stairs._

_Slowly, he reached his hand up to his face and grazed the sacred spot as it tingled._

_Exhaling, he stood and made his way up to his dorm, no doubt to dream of her._

_Just what was that girl doing to him?_


	11. Chapter 11

See how fast I'm updating? Huh, huh?

So pleeeeeease review and I promise to keep it up! I'm so grateful for the ones I already have – thanks so much for your support, it really means a lot!

As per, not miiine!

Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 1.1 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]

_"If i didn't know any better, Lily- Marie, I'd say you were jealous."_

_The indignant scoff from the red head to her right made Annixia smother a grin as she looked on at the__Daily Prophet__in her hand, seemingly nonchalant._

_Lily scowled and rolled her emerald eyes at her friend._

_"Please Anni, why, on all of God's green earth, would i be jealous of__that?__"_

_Curling her lip in disgust, it was all she could not to spit on the couple seated just out of hearing distance on the opposite side of the Gryffindor table, half thankful the chatter in the Great Hall drowned out her remarks, half wishing it would gain his attention._

_"Funnily enough, i was just thinking the same thing. You've never paid this much attention to James Potter before. Any new developments you have yet to tell me about?"_

_Annixia quirked an eyebrow, a sly smirk breaking across her crimson lips as she looked, partly amused, partly accusatory, at her best friend. Across and diagonal from them, James Potter and Lucy Reynolds continued their...shower of affection._

_Lily's head whipped in her direction, her glare of stone a harsh contrast to the wave of fire spilling from her head. "What's that supposed to mean?"_

_Nixi wasn't sure if the flush in her cheeks was indignance or embarrassment. She grinned all the same, turning her page to see the face of the Minister nodding at her._

_"You just seem awfully interested is all."_

_The lines in the red head's scowl deepened as she threw another glare at the giggling blonde hanging off the Quidditch Captain's arm._

_"Appalled? Yes. Horrified? Yes. Interested? Definitely not."_

_She scoffed once more and tossed her hair to the side, momentarily catching James' attention. He grinned to her sheepishly; she looked on, wounded almost._

_Softly, Nixi whispered, "How about betrayed?"_

_Lily's gaze dropped, and she swallowed the last of her tea in one go, standing as she muttered almost incoherently, "Don't be silly, Nix."_

_She gestured to the extra__credit report__she had in her hand and then to the empty spot at the staff table, signalling her intentions to hunt out their potions professor. Annixia only sighed and nodded._

_Leaving her friend to herself for the time being, letting her sort through her mind, Nixi stood also and decided to head to the library to finish her Transfiguration homework, shooting a sympathetic smile to James' confused expression as she walked away from the table._

_Sighing at the quiet of the hallways as opposed to the mindless chatter of the Great Hall, she continued to flick through the Daily Prophet as she walked, not paying any notice to the outside world as she immersed herself in the 'Wanted' section._

_Bad idea._

_She let out all air from her lungs in an 'Oof!' as her petite body collided with a very tall, very built body, sending her to the ground in a flurry of newspaper. Shaking out of her momentary lapse on the floor, she resisted rubbing her tailbone as she stood quickly, gathering the paper around the two of them._

_"I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed, not bothering to look into the face of her assailant. "I wasn't watching where i was going -__guess this is a lesson for me, huh? Are you ok?"_

_Ordering the Prophet in her hands, an amused voice sounded from in front of her, causing her head to snap upwards in surprise._

_"It's a good thing you're so tiny, Nix, otherwise i might have to press charges."_

_Sirius Black. She mentally groaned. Of course!_

_The one guy she had been avoiding, the one person she had managed to escape from for an entire week following the Hogsmeade trip and her show of ... gratitude had to be the one person she would, literally, run down._

_She blew out a snort and tilted her head in questioning. Her gold eyes twinkled._

_"For what, exactly?"_

_He smirked, secretly ecstatic for the chance to finally speak to her, and shrugged one broad shoulder._

_"Harassment is the most believable, i think."_

_She laughed lightly, running the paper through her hands as she held his eyes easily in her hypnotic gaze._

_"Can it be considered harassment if you're a willing participant?"_

_The same thought, shocking them to the core, ran through both minds simultaneously, with different reactions._

_Was she flirting with him?_

_To test the water, he took a step forward, bringing them closer. As always, she stayed put._

_Never willing to back down, that one._

_Far too stubborn._

_"Suppose not. Could my asking you to the next Hogsmeade trip be considered harassment? Or are you a willing participant?"_

_The grin formed slowly on his face and Annixia had to stop herself from falling as a head rush consumed her._

_What was happening?_

_Her eyes shifting back and forth continuously, she couldn't look him in the eye as she slowly shook her head, gaze finally finding the floor._

_"I don't think that's such a good idea, Sirius."_

_His eyes closed as the name fell from her lips._

_He only just managed to hold himself from begging her to say it again._

_His name sounded so much more musical coming from between her crimson pout than anywhere else. He wanted that._

_His name on her lips._

_"That's strange; because i do." He became frustrated, throwing his hands up in the air causing her shocked gaze to snap to his appearance. "In fact, i think it's the best fucking idea Hogwarts had ever heard!"_

_Her eyes narrowed in indignance._

_"Sirius..."_

_She warned him, her voice becoming lower, dangerous._

_"Yes...?"_

_He was mocking her; not such good thinking._

_"I think it would be best if maybe you just respected my decision – you don't need to PMS on me."_

_He scoffed, pulling her in, his hands on her upper arms as her face came within inches of his. He was too frustrated to realize._

_"Which decision is that, hmm? The one where you reject me, or the one where you're all over me, calling me your hero?"_

_She glared straight into those silver eyes and retorted, rattled;_

_"I was__thanking____you, actually, and i don't recall the word 'hero' ever being mentioned, Mr Hyperbole!"_

_He growled low in his chest, inching ever closer as his voice dropped to a deadly whisper._

_"You can__thank____me properly then by letting me take you out next Hogsmeade."_

_The word 'yes' was so close to her tongue she could taste it, but the order in his tone gave it a tangy taste. So, instead, she shoved away his body with her nimble hands on his rock chest (paying no attention to the muscle she felt tense beneath them, whatsoever...) and gathered her dignity._

_"Go to hell."_

_And with that, she turned on her heal and marched away._

What seemed like a lifetime later, Annixia shot up in her bed; hand on heart, grumbling again about unwelcomed memories.

"You know that you really shouldn't have."

Annixia pursed her lips and rolled her eyes at the constant protests her friend was sounding as Remus examined the new, expensive material draped around him.

"Face it, Remus. You needed new robes, i bought you them. Get over it."

Lupin turned to her and tilted his head in slight disapproval. "This must have cost a bomb-"

"I have friends in the fashion industry."

Not a lie. Her cousin's fiancée was a stylist for the Witch Weekly issues and was able to get discount on many products. Helpful when there was a ball that needed attending or just when Annixia felt like splashing out.

She had her own personal stylist just a phone call away.

"And added to the Easy-Storage-Briefcase-"

"Which will save ever having to buy anymore luggage, was a gift and you're just going to have to accept it." She sighed out and folded her legs underneath her, eyes flitting about his lodgings quickly as she made herself comfortable on the couch, "I'm not pitying you or anything of the sort, Remus. It's ok to let yourself be spoiled once in a while."

Lupin rubbed his eyes, not wanting to sound ungrateful as he pleaded weakly, "But it's your money."

"And i have plenty of it. Let me share it with you, before i splash out and become another high street snob, yeah?"

He sunk down beside her and she handed him her tea for him to have a sip of. He gulped before returning it to her ready hands. "But compared to what i got you-"

Once again, she cut him off. If she wasn't careful, he would be getting sick of her interruption soon...but she wouldn't stop until he did.

"Hey! Don't you diss Papa Bear, he's lovely!" She pouted at him and he rose his brow in amusement. "Just what i wanted! What do you get the girl who has everything, anyway? A teddy bear, certainly. Chocolate, definitely. Both?"

She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed out, "Pure heaven."

Without speaking, he pecked the top of her head in thanks, slinging his arm around her shoulders as they hugged on the couch. It was a comfortable silence for a few minutes, something Annixia welcomed after the previous banter, until Remus broke it with a poorly disguised laugh.

"You named the teddy Papa Bear?"

She reached for the cushion and slapped his side as he burst into a fit of laughter.

Annixia didn't contain her smile a she watched her friend tease her mercilessly. This side to Remus was definitely one of the best Christmas presents she'd had in years.

It was eight o'clock on the Thursday when Harry arrived at the History of Magic classroom, ready to begin his lessons against the constant bother of Dementors. A note was taped to the door which he immediately recognised to be in Professor Dexter's handwriting.

It stated:

_Hey sugar,_

_We'll be five minutes – just gathering supplies._

_Make yourself comfortable._

_You know where the sweets are hidden!_

_Xxx_

Smiling in fondness, he entered the room and placed himself on top of the table, munching on the constant supply of Honeydukes Annixia kept in the safe behind the tapestry of the male fairy. Such a strange thing to keep locked away...

She was right. Only a few minutes later his two favourite professors entered, lugging with them a rattling case with many different locking devices. Annixia grinned and Harry could practically feel the adrenalin radiating through her bronze sheen. He beamed back.

"Alright there, Harry?" He nodded and she gestured with her head to the sweet wrappers beside him, "I see you took me for my word, then."

He grinned a very familiar cheeky smile and retorted, "I always do."

"Mhmm." She replied before dragging the trunk into the open space in the idle of the classroom. Remus clapped his shoulder. Harry gestured to the heavy box.

"What's that?"

"Another Boggart." He stated, slipping out of his cloak. Annixia took it from him and placed it on the hook by the door as she rolled her eyes and smiled.

"And you'd better appreciate it, boy. It was a bitch to find." She sent him a wink and he grinned as Remus continued. "I'd been combing the castle and luckily found this one tucked away inside Mr Filch's cabinet. It's the nearest we'll get to a real Dementor, but the Boggart will turn into one when it sees you, so we'll be able to practise on him. We can store him in my classroom when we're not using him; there's a cupboard under my desk he'll like."

Nixi snorted as she moved to lean against her desk, one of her favoured positions. "Oh yes, by all means, let's make sure the fear inducing monster is as comfortable as possible. That sounds fair."

Lupin simply rolled his eyes and Harry nodded to his previous statement, just glad to have the thing to practise on.

It wasn't long before Harry found himself on his back in the middle of the classroom, a product of his weak memory, with Lupin and Annixia rushing to him and aiding him stand.

Lupin handed him a chocolate frog. "Here, you'll feel better."

If that was true then Annixia felt like maybe she could use one. She did not like seeing her Godson thrown across the room, at all.

"It's getting worse, i could hear her louder this time – and him-"

Nixi fought to keep the colour in her cheeks.

Lily. Her poor Lily.

He had to face that, every time he so much as looked at a Dementor.

Harry. Her poor Harry.

How did he do it?

He got back to his feet for another try.

And again was thwarted.

Crouching beside him, Annixia shook his shoulders to rouse him. He mumbled as he woke.

"I heard my dad." The two adults momentarily froze. Anni closed her eyes tightly. James – oh Merlin, James. "That's the first time I've ever heard him - he tried to take on Voldemort himself, to give my mum time to run for it."

Annixia found herself almost laughing at how unsurprising that was.

Of course he did. That was the Potter Hero Complex after all.

Harry attempted to defeat the creature one more time - and was successful. Annixia grasped him in a hug.

"Congratulations!" Relief fell from her very breath as she thought through the events of the evening. She didn't know how Harry could stand it – she hadn't even heard it and she was already on the brink of emptying her stomach's contents all over her clean floor.

But she had to stay strong. She was a grown up, and they don't cry.

At least not until under the cover of darkness.


	12. Chapter 12

I love my reviewers … so, so much! I really appreciate your support and for that here is an extra long one and my personal favourite so far!

Let me know what you think!

And of course, all Jo's, other than the bits you don't recognise :)

Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 1.2 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]

As the Ravenclaw vs. Gryffindor Quidditch match drew ominously closer and the school became abuzz with excitement and competition, Annixia found herself growing more and more exhausted. Her disturbed sleep pattern, the plaguing of constant, chronological memories in her subconscious were beginning to take their toll and she found herself on edge with the knowledge of what came next.

A scene she wasn't sure she had the strength to relive amongst every other problem of daily life.

The bags under her eyes were becoming noticeable and Nixi found herself placing a thin layer of concealer underneath her overbright eyes in an attempt to hide the damning evidence from her colleagues and the students alike.

She detested the feel of the dry substance in her skin and rejected the idea of make-up usually. However, the situation was becoming desperate and, if she wanted to avoid questions, she'd better start working on her liar's mask.

She had yet to speak of her subconscious' playing habits to another, partly because she could never find a way to slip it nonchalantly into a normal conversation, and partly due to the fact that she almost felt like a traitor for her thoughts and feelings.

She missed him, and after that stunt at Christmas, which also remained unknown to anyone but her...

Annixia was simply thankful that she still rejected the dreams, for her own sanity and sake of mind. If she started looking forward to them, counting on the comfort they provided her with, the hope of a better, previous life – well, that was like being back at square one.

She couldn't go back to the beginning, to that place of almost hopelessness. There are only so many knocks that can be a boost...

However, when Annixia found herself unwinding in a steamy, overheated bath, she couldn't resist the heaviness of her lids and the room slowly fuzzed out around her.

She gave in to temptation.

_"Oh, bugger!"_

_Lily sighed in amusement and turned to her friend, raising her brow in question as the bronze skinned beauty rifled through her leather shoulder bag._

_"What have you forgotten now, scatter brain?"_

_Annixia shot her a glare before rolling her eyes and muttering under her breath._

_"Come again?"_

_Blowing a dark spiral from her sight, Anni sighed in exasperation and hitched her bag back onto her shoulder._

_"I think i left my revision planner in Herbology. You go on ahead and save us some seats – if i lose our study sheet Alice will have my head."_

_Lily cocked her head to the side,_

_"You sure?"_

_Biting her lip and already slowly walking in their previous direction, Annixia nodded and called back;_

_"Yeah, I'll meet you there in a few!"_

_"Wait, do you want me to take your bag for you?"_

_Annixia smiled at the sweet gesture –_

_"Would you?"_

_Lily slipped it onto her other shoulder with an easy "No problem." And a simple smile._

_"Thanks, sugar!"_

_She turned and power walked to Greenhouse Three, prying open the ever jamming door to a classroom she believed was empty._

_The door shut behind her and she bee-lined straight to her desk, finding nothing but an empty table top, which perplexed her._

_She creased her forehead and muttered to herself:_

_"I could have sworn..."_

_And then, from the very corner of the room, came an explanatory voice. How had she not noticed before?_

_"Do you know how adorable you look when you're confused?"_

_Nixi repressed a groan, forcibly turning herself to face the ever stunning oldest Black boy who observed her, half amused, half cautious._

_How should he approach this?_

_"Sirius."_

_She nodded curtly, meeting his gaze with eyes so filled with complex emotions that it confused Padfoot into thinking that they were empty._

_"Annixia." He mocked, not bothering to hide his grin as he lent against the window frame, legs crossed at the ankle as he flicked through the medium book in his hands, "Shouldn't you be studying for Charms in the library with Alice, Lily and Remus right now?"_

_One hand on hip, she extended the other as a gesture of want for the planner in his grasp._

_"Yes, actually, and if you'd just pass me my property, I'll be on my way."_

_He pouted, yes he pouted, and cocked his head to the right._

_Annixia simply refused to find this adorable._

_"You don't want to stay and talk to me for a little while?"_

_Sighing, rubbing her forehead with the previously extended hand, she shifted her weight and answered, almost inaudibly, "Not particularly."_

_Sirius pushed away from the glass wall and stepped slightly forward, nodding his head with a mocking smirk on his face, but hurt in his eyes._

_"Of course, that's right. You're avoiding me."_

_She rolled her eyes at him and scoffed at the idea._

_"Please, don't flatter yourself. You're not important enough for that kind of effort."_

_He dropped the book onto the table by his side but stepped in front of it before she could reach for the Holy Grail itself._

_The hand went to his chest._

_"Ouch, Nix. That was uncalled for."_

_"Yeah, well, so is stealing someone's private property. I guess this makes us even."_

_He took another step forward._

_"So, if you're not ignoring me, you can stay and talk then."_

_She shook her head and took a slight, almost unnoticeable step back._

_"Not really. I'm busy, remember?"_

_Sirius did notice though._

_She blinked and suddenly his body was flush against hers, his breath flitting across her lips, catching her off guard with his arms around her waist._

_"That's a real shame – i was hoping we could discuss some things."_

_His eyes burned hers, and then her lips and back up._

_Trying to catch her breath, she panted out,_

_"What do we have to discuss?"_

_He grinned slyly and leant her against the desk behind them, until she was almost sat on it._

_"I can think of a few things..."_

_She shivered, unable to prevent it and his grin widened._

_Unconsciously, she licked her lips._

_"Really?"_

_"Mhmm..."_

_His nose rubbed against hers gently and it was only then that she registered that her hands were the only thing separating them, trapped between their chests._

_She could feel his heartbeat._

_"But, you're busy, so!"_

_He pulled away abruptly and Annixia almost fell from the loss of sudden weight._

_She would never know how much will power that took for him._

_Casually, he handed her the planner and she snatched it away, not looking at him as confusion once again clouded her eyes._

_How sweet..._

_Mumbling a goodbye quickly, she surged for the door, the blush just now flaming her cheeks._

_What was he playing at?_

_What was__she____playing at?_

_She needed to talk to Lily._

_ASAP._

_Reaching the door handle, she tugged nonchalantly at first, only to have it not move a slight._

_She pulled again, harder this time._

_It didn't budge._

_She reached for her wand...only to remember it was in her bag._

_Which was with Lily._

_She tried the manual way again._

_No go._

_This time she did groan._

_"Having some trouble there, sweetheart?"_

_Her head hit the door._

_'He's just a boy, Annixia, and no matter how frustrating, sexually or otherwise, you need his help. So play nice.'_

_Sucking in a mouthful of air, she turned to his smirking face._

_"Yes, actually. Do you think you could-"_

_She made a gesture to the jammed door and Sirius tilted his head._

_"Why don't you just use magic?"_

_The reply left her mouth before she could stop it._

_"Because, genius, i don't have my wand with me. Do you not think i thought about that already?"_

_He grinned._

_"Well then i guess it's just your luck that i don't have mine either."_

_She groaned again and banged her head against the door._

_He was so bloody maddening!_

_"Please tell me you're joking?"_

_She looked to him hopefully._

_"Sorry sweetheart. I'm Sirius, remember."_

_"Ugghh!"_

_It was going to be a long evening._

_Gathering her wits again with a slow intake of air, she stepped back from the door, sunk into a chair and placed the diary in front of her on the desk._

_She glared at it._

_If it wasn't for that stupid, inanimate object she would be laughing in the library right then with her best friends, not stuck in consistently cooling Herbology room with none other than the infamous Sirius Black._

_Who had also moved to perch on the desk facing her, slightly to the right._

_Someone was thoroughly enjoying themselves..._

_"Chin up, love. I'm not__that____bad."_

_His eyes twinkled as they rolled a full circuit before spying the way she slipped lower in the chair and looked off to the left, trying to decipher the shrub that seemed to be staring back._

_"I never said you were."_

_He quirked an eyebrow, "Then why the long face?"_

_Annixia could have chosen any of the many answers dancing through her mind, but picked the seemingly least dangerous one._

_"I have plans, remember?"_

_Sirius frowned._

_"Oh yeah. With Remus. What's up with that?" He asked abruptly and Annixia sat up a little straighter, staring at him like he's grown an extra head. "Do you like him or something?"_

_She clenched her jaw and then relaxed. What was with this boy?_

_And he called her confusing._

_"Actually, i have plans with Remus, Alice and Lily, remember? At the library. You make it sound like we're meeting in a broom closet or something. As for me liking him; well, what do you think?"_

_He pushed away from the table, frustrated and began throwing his hands about as he replied._

_"That's just it! I don't know__what____to think! You're so hot and cold with me – like you don't__want____to like me! I'm just getting mixed signals from you and i don't know how to handle that, so could you just tell it to me straight-"_

_Rolling her eyes, she cut in sharply._

_"I don't fancy anyone – in fact, i tend to avoid guys all together. They have a way of complicating things and i don't want to deal with that. So i keep out of their way."_

_He growled and shot out,_

_"All except Moony, of course."_

_"Oh will you get off the Remus thing! You're beginning to sound pathetic and repetitive. He's my friend; nothing more but nothing less."_

_"Right then."_

_He skulked off into a corner of the room and slid down the wall, sat with one knee bent and the other outstretched, his elbow resting on the propped kneecap._

_His gaze became distant as he brooded._

_Annixia scoffed at his childish antics._

_"Sirius?" Her tone was sharp with impatience but he showed no acknowledgement. She tried again. "Sirius?"_

_He simply ignored her._

_She sighed heavily and rubbed her brow._

_Of course, she would get stuck with Sirius Black in a greenhouse._

_With sudden realization she closed her eyes._

_Think of the rumours._

_It was then that she prayed a teacher would be the one to find them. For the sake of her sanity._

_And Sirius'__glowing____reputation._

_Annixia wasn't sure how much time had passed in complete silence, but between the thick blankets of quiet the night had descended upon them and with it a cold shadow over the room._

_Surely a greenhouse would have had insulation? To keep the warmth in for the plants?_

_But no; apparently not._

_She had curled up in the chair, her knees pressed to her chest and arms looped around them._

_Why did they have to wear skirts?_

_It just wasn't practical!_

_She pulled her socks up as high as they would go, to the bottom of her thighs and shivered in her foetal position._

_Apparently, Sirius noticed._

_"Cold?"_

_His voice with smooth and laced with a sort of concern that was deep enough to be unrecognisable to Anni, who wasn't used to that sort of caring from someone like Sirius._

_Though, looking back, perhaps she should have been._

_Tilting her head, she smiled slightly._

_"If i say yes, you're not going to suggest stripping, rolling around in lard and hugging one another as a solution; are you?"_

_He grinned._

_"Of course not. We don't have any lard. It would have to be bobutter pus."_

_He chuckled gently at her grimace._

_"Lovely."_

_She remarked, shivering as his eyes held to her form._

_He stretched out the other leg and motioned for her to join him._

_"Why?"_

_Her voice was slow; suspicious._

_He just motioned again._

_"Come here."_

_Thinking that it wasn't a good idea, Annixia moved to decline again, only to be hit by shower of invisible ice. Against her better judgement, she stood and walked to the space in front of him._

_He patted the floor between his legs._

_She looked at him cautiously, thinking it through._

_He noticed her look._

_"I won't bite love, not if you don't ask me to, anyway."_

_Despite rolling her eyes, she perched between his long legs, her back against his front; close enough to feel the body heat radiating off his chest, but not close enough that they were touching._

_That was until his arms softly circled her slim waist and he gently tugged her into him._

_The warmth enveloped her and the stiffness of her shoulders relaxed as Nixi allowed him to hold her. Unsure what to do with her hands, she placed them on her lap before noting the complete contrast of their bodies._

_To break the sweet silence, she voiced her opinions._

_"Why are you so bloody tall?"_

_He laughed, the vibrations in his chest moving through her body too. She bit the bottom corner of her lip._

_"For the same reason you're so bloody small."_

_She let out an offended noise, elbowing the broadness of his torso lightly._

_"That's vertically challenged to you, mister."_

_He let out a mock laugh._

_"Since when?"_

_"Since tiny people became protected in the eyes of the law."_

_She explained, smiling through her words as they flowed out easily. She noticed the way he tightened his arms around her tightly as she let out a laugh._

_"Oh yeah, the Defence of the Dwarf Act – i remember now."_

_The sarcasm was appreciated as she chuckled lightly._

_"Cheeky."_

_He grinned into her neck._

_"Always."_

_Smiling, she looked at him out of the corner of her eye._

_"Well someone's in a better mood."_

_He sighed, the breath tickling her skin._

_Merlin, what was she getting herself into?_

_"That might have something to do with the fact that you're letting me hold you right now." He pointed out in victory and Annixia rolled her eyes._

_"Well, you didn't give me much of a choice really, did you?"_

_He frowned and rubbed his nose against her shoulder blade._

_"That's not true - you could have stayed over there if you wanted to."_

_She scoffed._

_"Yeah, if i wanted to freeze to death."_

_He tightened his arms again._

_"Better now?"_

_Annixia couldn't stop the word from spilling past her lips._

_"Much."_

_They stayed that way for a moment, before Sirius opened up a new line of conversation._

_"Can i ask you something?"_

_His tone of voice made her raise an eyebrow._

_"Are you actually giving me the option, or just being polite?"_

_She felt his smile._

_"When have you known me to ever be polite?"_

_She tilted her head back to look him in the face._

_"Is that your question?"_

_Sirius shook his head, smiling only slightly._

_Almost concerned, she continued._

_"Then you'd better ask, before you forget."_

_She hadn't noticed her hands moving to rest along his arms, but he did, and it was all he could do to channel his concentration._

_"You said before that you don't like anyone, is that true?"_

_She exhaled, licked her lips and looked down to their arms, finally noting the fact that hers had seemingly moved of their own accord._

_Why was her body so willing to attach itself to his?_

_"I guess so."_

_He looked at her questioningly and echoed._

_"You guess so?"_

_She nodded, drawing circles on his arm with her left hand. Sirius couldn't repress the pleasured shudder that ran his spine. She didn't seem to notice._

_"I've never really thought about it, to be honest. You were pretty close earlier – i'm not really willing to like anyone, so when i do, i guess i just sort of...pull back. Does that make sense?"_

_He sighed._

_"It does; can i ask why you aren't willing?"_

_She shrugged, surprised at how comfortable she felt discussing this with him._

_"I grew up watching my mum's heart break every time my dad would fight with her. She would cry herself to sleep all the time and he just...i don't know. She gave him her everything and he was so careless with her. I guess i just don't think it's worth the hassle in the end."_

_He pulled them lower down the wall, slouching comfortably._

_"I can understand that, i suppose. But don't you think it's worth a chance at least – i mean, there are guys that would kill for someone like you."_

_Trying to bring back the light heartedness to the conversation, she let out a snort._

_"Maybe they did before__you__scared them all of!"_

_This time, he shrugged._

_"Can't have them stealing my girl."_

_She laughed._

_"I'm not your girl."_

_He tilted his head and looked at her quizzically._

_"And why is that, again?"_

_Ouch. She had walked right into that one, hadn't she?_

_Checking the facial expression again, Annixia found him to be serious._

_Where to begin? Hadn't she found herself lying awake at night, wondering the exact same thing?_

_How was she supposed to tell him when she could hardly figure it out for herself?_

_She would have to be honest – hopefully not brutally so._

_"Because, and i mean no offense when i say this but Sirius, you have a reputation, not a gleaming one either, and i don't know what to do with myself when you try and make me the next Lolita in your line up."_

_He looked at her, hurt evident on his features and pulled back from her slightly. She took the movement as a hint and moved forward, putting a slight distant between them and turning to face him._

_"You really think that all i want from you is sex?"_

_Sighing, she put her face in her hands before once again looking to him._

_"What else am i supposed to think? You're very blunt, Sirius and you said yourself that what you want, you get. And then you throw it away. I won't be discarded, i can't handle that." She sucked in a breath before gathering herself to add, "Because i can see myself falling for you. And i won't let myself be hurt by that."_

_She closed her eyes, too cowardly to see his reaction as she tried to ignore her pounding heart._

_Shouldn't she feel relief for telling someone-anyone-even if it was the one person who was supposed to never find out?_

_"You know, for someone so intelligent, you really can be stupid at times." Her eyes shot open in indignance and she glared at him. How sensitive of him._

_"Excuse me?"_

_He snorted, rolled his eyes and matched her leer with his own amused gaze._

_"Do you have any idea how much you actually mean to me?"_

_The silver blazed in his stare and Nixi found herself without air or speech. His voice was rough and coated in raw feeling. She'd never noticed just how sincere he was before._

_"There are hundreds of available, pretty, nice,__willing____girls in this bloody school that would give anything to be with me."_

_"And don't you just know it."_

_She replied cynically, rolling her eyes at his arrogance._

_He nodded, his expression ablaze. Passionate._

_"Yeah, i do. So what's stopping me, Annixia? What's stopping me from choosing any one of them to be with?"_

_She threw her hands up to the air, not bothering to bite her tongue and think before she said anything._

_"Nothing, Sirius! Nothing is stopping you from taking any one of them as yours. Who knows, it may even last a week, if they're lucky!"_

_He shook his head, an incredulous look upon his handsome face._

_"God Nixi! How can you not see it! I haven't been with another woman, haven't even__looked____at another girl since__you____came along! And it's killing me not to be with you, every bloody time you say 'no' it actually, physically hurts."_

_She stood up abruptly, looking down on him insulted._

_Hand to her chest, she rose her eyebrows._

_"You're saying it's my fault?"_

_He stood too, bones clicking from the sudden move but he didn't even wince as he bit back._

_"That's exactly what I'm saying! Only you never bothered to look and see, all you could think of was my 'reputation' which, by the way, is mostly talk! Only you never bothered to find that out either, did you? You just assumed. Thought i didn't care enough about you to give you more than a week. Thought i could just make you a notch on my belt..._

_Well guess what."_

_He moved closer, his hands on her hips as he pulled her in to his chest. He was so much taller than her, so broad._

_"Here's the proof that you're stupid. Because all i ever wanted from you, was all of you. Nothing more, nothing less."_

_He moved one hand up to tuck a loose curl behind her ear and softly stroked her cheek._

_The butterflies exploded in her stomach and she closed her eyes briefly, slightly leaning into his touch._

_"You said you could fall for me, if this became more. I'm already there and i haven't so much as kissed you yet. So tell me this isn't worth the hassle, Anni."_

_His face descended upon hers and in a split second his lips caressed hers so gently at first, before adding more pressure. Annixia found herself responding, letting go of everything as stars flashed before her eyes. She tiptoed, making it easier for the both of them as her hands found their way to his hair and became lost as their bodies moulded. His hands and her hips. Their chests and mouths._

_Everything became...connected._

_In need of air, they pulled back and breathed deeply, foreheads resting against one another. He re-tucked the same curl behind her ear._

_He could still taste her._

_Breathless and now seeing the diamonds in his eyes, she asked curiously._

_"And what does this make us, exactly?"_

_He rubbed his nose against hers gently, his hands trailing her sides lightly._

_"Whatever you want us to be – as long as there__is____an us."_

_She let out a slight laugh._

_"When did you become such a girl?"_

_He chuckled, the grin etching its way onto his perfect face._

_"Your fault, remember?"_

_Still smiling, she gently reached up to peck his lips again._

_Looking into her golden gaze, he tightened his hold on her. There was no such thing as too close for him._

_"Can we take it slow? See how we go? I don't want to rush-"_

_His lips cut her off and she could feel his grin as he lifted her off the ground, spinning her once and squeezing her. They laughed as he put her back on the good earth._

_"Whatever you want, sweetheart."_

_She tilted her head. That name had a ring to it now, one she could certainly get used to._

_"Then why don't we start with Hogsmeade, next weekend?"_

_Sirius let out a bark like laugh._

_"Where have i heard that one before?" He nudged her nose again. "Sounds perfect. I'll have to stay close to you though, love. We don't want another episode like last time."_

_She smiled and looked straight into those stormy greys._

_"Sounds perfect."_

In a cold tub, alone with only candle light to see with, Annixia Dexter awoke 15 years later, swimming in the salt of her own tears. In the distance, a dog howled.


	13. Chapter 13

Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 1.3 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]

The next day saw Annixia alone in her room, a blanket covering her shivering frame and a pile of used tissues in the bin by her side. The bed was terribly inviting and mushy underneath her slim frame and her eyes, constantly fighting to soften through to sleep, were trained on the television in front of her.

Friends was playing; one of her favourite shows.

Sighing softly, she cursed the blatant stupidity she paraded last night by falling asleep in the bath tub, not only because of the devastating memories her subconscious refused to let le, but due to the fact that the water cooled so quickly, Nixi was bedridden with a common cold and a potion by her bedside, vile as it was, that would hopefully cure her.

Upset though she was that this meant her missing the Ravenclaw, Gryffindor match which was vital to those on the side of red and gold, a part of her was thankful. She had needed a day to recover from everything, time t herself, and though this was not the best way to spend it, at least it meant peace of body, soul and mind for a little while.

Like ripping off a band-aid, Annixia knew that the worst of her memories was over for a while, the next ones, though nauseatingly teasing, she could handle. The brunt of it she bore last night.

And her running nose was the proof of that.

Without the energy to fight it off, drowsiness overtook her as the medicine began doing its job and she laid back peacefully, shutting her eyes against the light in the room and succumbing to the impending dream like state that would capture her.

_"Careful there, love; don't want you losing any vital parts."_

_The grin, ever present that afternoon on Sirius' handsome face, stretched further as he caught Annixia's elbow, preventing her tail bone from meeting the frosting sprinkled across the path leading down to the magical town of Hogsmeade._

_Scoffing, Nixi rolled her eyes, nevertheless clinging to the strong arm that her, as of a week ago, boyfriend offered to her._

_"What do you mean, 'any vital parts'? All my parts are vital!"_

_Chuckling at her indignance, Sirius' eyes twinkled as he looked upon the beautiful girl by his side; his beautiful girl, and cheekily replied._

_"Well then, i think it's for the best that we make doubly sure you're safe; don't you?"_

_His arm moved from under her hand and instead snaked tightly around the curve of her slim waist, tugging her closer to his side. Smiling at his nerve, she leaned against the warmth he provided, not feeling at all inclined to shift their position, even as they passed Lily and James, the former shooting Sirius a lasting glare._

_He chuckled, almost worriedly._

_"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say she's still not so happy with me."_

_Slipping her arm to hang across his narrow hips, Annixia snuggled closer in reassurance._

_"Quite honestly, she doesn't trust you yet, but she'll warm up in time." Sirius smiled at the proximity and kissed the top of her head gently. "Don't worry though-" How could he not; a best friend's opinion counted for so much and he knew that, "-It's not like she can talk. I run to tell her about you and i and find her in the Common Room, lip-locked with none other than 'Pig Head, Potter! She's many things, my Lily, but she's not a hypocrite."_

_"At least not out loud." Sirius added, smirking audaciously at the rise it got out of__his__girl._

_Merlin, he would never get sick of saying that._

_Defiantly, she lifted an automatic hand and caught him lightly in the stomach with the back of it, regretting it immediately as his muscles hurt her more than she could ever dream of paining him._

_"Ouch! Bloody hell, are you made of bricks or something, Black? I think you might have broken my hand!"_

_Laughing, he lifted the tiny limb to his lips and kissed along her knuckles gently._

_"That should teach you then that violence solves nothing. It's your own fault."_

_Pulling her hand back to herself, ignoring the explosion of butterflies in the lower pit of her stomach, Annixia disagreed adamantly._

_"Excuse me? Who insulted whose best friend? I think i had every right to get violent, thank you very much. It's__your__fault that it backfired, Mr Muscle Man."_

_Squeezing her hip lightly as they entered the town centre, eliciting a small squeak of surprise from Nixi, Sirius nuzzled into her hair and kissed her cheekbone lightly, whispering into her ear quietly._

_"I'm sorry, love; but you did call James a Pig Head – that sounds pretty insulting to me."_

_His nose rubbed along the bridge of her cheek and she turned to face him, effectively stopping them in their tracks, her own nose tip meeting his as he leant down to reach her face._

_She looked up to meet his eyes and took a moment to regain her thoughts._

_"Actually, that was a quote from the Lily-Pad herself; James didn't seem to mind what she was saying at the time, as long as she was talking to or about him. So nah."_

_She stuck the tip of her tongue out slightly, scrunching her nose slightly and Sirius laughed, both arms looping her middle as he lifted her onto the very edge of her toes, his eyes tracing every feature of her gorgeous face before finding her smouldering gaze once more._

_Smirking, he answered;_

_"You're right, sweetheart, as usual." This was followed by a sweeping, steaming kiss against her already plump, scarlet lips. It took far too much will power to pull away and he almost didn't._

_Almost._

_His eyes found hers again, just as small snowflakes began drifting around them. He grinned down at her insolent expression._

_"Am i forgiven?"_

_Her own smirk flitting across her mouth, Annixia pierced right into his own silver stunning stare and she replied, without hesitation but a lot of deeper meaning._

_"Not quite."_

_Grinning, catching easily onto her meaning, he swooped down again, ecstatic to be invited, and captured her soft, experienced lips in a breathless kiss that left both of them trying to calm their hammering hearts._

_This time, she pulled away, albeit reluctantly._

_Beaming cheekily, she looked up through her long, dark lashes and said, slightly panting:_

_"Absolution granted."_

Matching the rhythm and volume of her heartbeat, Annixia was woken from her nap by a constant and loud knocking on her classroom door. Glancing the clock, she realized it was well past night time and then she had slept the day away in her medicated haze.

Standing shakily, noting that her health was much better, Nixi made her way through her apartment and classroom, to the wooden door, making a mental note to a) thank Madam Pomfrey for her miracle working and b) give the person at the door a piece of her, now very alert, mind.

Yanking open the door, Annixia paused at the sight of a pale faced Professor McGonagall and shut immediately her at-the-ready mouth, assuming it was not the time, nor would it ever be, to shout down the Deputy Head.

Tightening her tartan dressing gown, Minerva cleared her scratchy throat and straightened up, her professionalism returning as she assessed the young woman before her; confused and bewildered, not to mention no little bit worried, Annixia searched her face for answers.

"Professor, what's wrong? What's happened?"

Gathering herself, McGonagall smiled, sympathetically almost, at her ex student turned colleague, and proceeded to explain.

"I'm so to wake you so late, Annixia, especially considering your condition-" Nixi waved away the apology, she was hardly invalid, after all, "-but I'm afraid something grave has occurred."

Curious, Anni tilted her head, waiting and expectant. What was going on?

"Sirius Black has once again managed to worm his way into the castle and successfully the Gryffindor dorms where he saw fit to raise a knife to Ron Weasley, slashing at his bed curtains, awaking the boy, before scampering off."

Annixia put a shocked hand to her mouth, preventing the gasp her words induced. Sirius had been in the castle, threatening her students, those close to her Godson, while she had been dreaming of him kissing her?

How shameful was she?

"I'm sorry to ask you, considering the history you carry on this subject, but there isn't enough staff to scour the building without your help. Do you think you could check the Quidditch Pitch for me – Madam Hooch is away on family matters tonight and there's nobody else to cover it."

Already nodding, Annixia moved to grab the cloak off the hook by the door, wrapping it across her shoulders – a tank top and pj bottoms were hardly sufficient to keep her warm in the outside.

"Of course, Minerva. Do we know how he was able to delve so far into the castle this time? Surely the portrait didn't just allow him access?"

Grumbling, McGonagall tightened her hair bobble before straightening her back, "How he invaded the castle, we don't know; as for the Gryffindor Tower, apparently Longbottom left a list of passwords for any old person to find about the place, stupid boy! Of course, Black came by them and saw his opportunity!"

Annixia took a moment to shut her eyes and exhale. Should she mention Sirius' Animagus form? Or leave that to Lupin? After all, it really had nothing to do with her, not really...

Deciding to think on that later, she nodded to her superior before sweeping from her classroom to stand beside her. Walking away, she called back, "I'll report to your office when I'm done."

And a four o'clock in the morning, that was why Annixia Dexter found herself breathing out fog in the middle of the Quidditch Pitch, having searched thoroughly the area three times. She hadn't expected him to stay for long, of course, but a part of her yearned to see him.

Yearned for answers only he could provide.

The ending to questions like why he did it? How could he do such a thing? Had he been planning it for years, even before they found their own romance?

Was she not worth sticking around for?

Of course, the other side simply wanted to curse him into oblivion.

How dare he threaten her students? Those so close to her godson?

Their godson?

How dare he storm the castle? How dare he slash those curtains? Threaten a defenceless boy?

How dare he not stay long enough for her reaction?

_Selfish prick._

Up in the Shrieking Shack, not even a mile away, Sirius Black paced the room, ignoring the ominous creaking underneath his boot clad feet.

So close; he had been so close!

It could have all happened tonight: Peter exposed and then gotten rid of, his innocence proved, his godson understanding and his fiancée back in his arms.

Only it didn't!

That silly Weasley had foiled his plans!

Defeated, the manic gleam that had tainted his determined grey eyes dissipated, Sirius sank down onto the dusty, ruffled quilt atop the old mattress and held his head in his hands.

How many more trials was he to last? How much more could he take?

Had he not suffered enough?

Sirius growled.

Someone up there really had it out for him.

"If this is your idea of some sick prank James, I'll tell you now; it stopped being funny about twelve years ago!"

A moment later, after half expecting to hear his friend's laughter, Sirius exhaled.

So much for keeping his sanity.

Grumbling, he laid across the bed, punching the pillow in an attempt to make the shape a slight more comfortable as well as release some frustration, Sirius clenched his eyes shut tightly, feeling more at peace than he had since the night before when her face appeared on the inside of his lids.

Quietly, as he drifted off, he spoke once more to the heavens above.

"If i don't get her back, i swear, when i get up there I'm gonna be kicking some serious arse..."

_I know it's been a while and this one isn't particularly action packed but the last one was seriously emotional so this one is, if only slightly, a bit lighter.__  
__Next one should be out soon; let me know what you thought :D_


	14. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling – my time keeping is terrible in comparison to hers…_

_Please don't hurt me?_

Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 1.4 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]

Tomorrow had always been Annixia's favourite day, because a world of tomorrows meant that anything was possible. However, the tomorrow after Sirius Black's midnight escapades didn't mean the impossible, but rather a very tired staff and buzzing student body.

She was glad for the chance to simply relax in Remus' office with her old friend, though, she had to admit, the concerned looks being sent her way were beginning to wear her down. It wasn't long before Remus, as expected, broke the comfortable silence.

"Annixia, are you sure you're alright? These last few days have been a bit rough, after all."

Meeting his blue gaze, she allowed her golden eyes to latch onto his and let out a small, easy smile; "These last few days have been tough on us all, Remus, and I'm not naive enough to believe that it's my reaction taking priority. Save your worry for the students, they need it more than i do, apparently."

She took a long sip from her warm milk (her head, extra sensitive as of late, couldn't handle too much caffeine and Annixia had already wasted her daily allowance) and pulled her legs to tuck up under her body.

"Way to dodge the question, Nixi; don't think i don't know what you're trying to pull." He nudged her arm gently with his elbow, looking down on her with those all seeing eyes.

Sometimes, Annixia really detested just how well he knew her.

At a loss of what to say without revealing herself, she simply shrugged her nonchalant shoulders, her fingers going to twirl a band of silver and diamond on her fourth digit out of pure habit, only to find nothing but skin.

Annixia swallowed the sudden urge to cry. What had gotten into her lately?

Under knitted eyebrows, Remus inspected her and the far off look in her usually alert eyes. He knew when to leave well enough alone, but couldn't help concerning himself with her health. She had been looking a little tired lately.

"Ok," he conceded reluctantly, "But if anything should come up, Annixia-"

"You'll be the first to know." She grinned at him; his concern truly meant a lot to her.

He slung an arm around her shoulders, just glad to see her smile and pulled her closer into the crook of his body. "Your feelings are always a priority of mine, you know."

Smiling, she placed her cup on the coffee table before them and leaned further into him. Annixia could hardly believe that, before Hogwarts, she hadn't seen her closest friend in over a decade. She wondered vaguely what the difference would be in their relationship if they had somehow kept contact.

"What would i do without you, Remus?"

She decided not to dwell on it too much.

The Quidditch Final was approaching rapidly, but, before that the school was more concerned with the coming Hogsmeade trip, one which Annixia had pulled duty on.

Both herself and Professor Vector were supposed to continuously loop or mingle within the magical town and that was how, on a frosty Saturday, she found herself wrapped close in a scarlet coat, dark blue skinny jeans, high healed ankle black boots and a matching set of black gloves and scarf.

It seemed as though every corner she turned there was a memory there, prepared to slap her in the face with a heavy hand.

As if it wasn't enough that she revisited it all in her sleep, but now when she was conscious too? A woman could only take so much.

Why was it then that she allowed her small feet to carry her to the one place that screamed to her of a possible future too far gone to remember?

Annixia wasn't sure, but that didn't stop her approaching the old, dilapidating building. How had she every gotten the courage to explore the Shrieking Shack at night when she was a teenager? It loomed so spookily...

Oh yes, of course. She wasn't alone when she had come at seventeen.

The familiar trek was short and obvious, allowing her access to the dusty 'home' with minimal effort and only two minutes time space. She sighed heavily once inside – it was barely warmer than outside, however, much cosier without the wind whipping through her bones.

She stared around the living room, void of all furniture minus a moth eaten settee in the very centre, removing her gloves and stuffing them unceremoniously in her coat pockets. It had been so long, and yet, unsurprisingly she supposed, the place hadn't changed a bit.

She moved into the foyer, tracing a finger along the walls, allowing the skin on the tip to collect the dust particles in a continuous line. Her hand graced three deep scratches for a moment and grimaced as she stroked them:

Poor Remus.

Releasing a sigh, she moved over the rickety staircase, vaguely aware that her weight may be the undoing of the wooden panels and so hurried her steps, heals clicking against the padded timber.

A warning to anyone that might be hiding within her memorabilia.

Carefully, almost hesitant, Annixia approached the only bedroom of the house, her movements cautious, as though she were preparing to be the target of some strange joke or vicious attack. She peeked inside.

Empty.

Had she expected anything different?

Confused by the feeling of disappointment welling in the pit of her stomach, Nixi frowned, crossing the threshold; careful to not push the door too hard.

She'd be taking no chances with the rickety manor.

All but crawling into the chamber, she barely glanced the window or registered the snow that had begun to fall once more, her eyes, like a magnet, drawn immediately to the wrought iron bed and the half destroyed mattress.

It puzzled her that something so insignificant could be of so much importance.

As though frightened it would bite her, she lowered herself sceptically onto the surprisingly well made quilt, her hands sweeping the soft crush velvet, eyes closing automatically. It had been so long ago...

And yet she remembered every detail perfectly.

Trembling hands, clammy skin, entangled limbs...how incredible.

Her eyes snapped open, this time with unshed tears forming a shield, she turned and laid down easily, her hand going under the pillow, the other on top as she faced the rest of the room, but took nothing in.

Her eyes fell shut once more, crocodile tears of only two paving a way down the soft skin of her face...

_"Sirius, what are you doing? We can't go in there, it's forbidden to students, remember?"_

_Annixia checked her surroundings, just to ensure they stood alone on that humid night, hands entwined as he attempted to pull her further into the Shrieking Shack._

_Of course he was succeeding, the bloody Quidditch Player._

_He laughed at her reluctance._

_"Come on, love, introduce a little anarchy into that monotonous life of yours."_

_He grinned at her cheekily and she scoffed, planting her heals into the ground right before they reached the entrance. They both halted immediately._

_"I'll have you know that my life is nothing short of chaotic now, thank you very much; ever since you came along with your bloody rebellion. Monotonous my arse."_

_Smirking, he peaked swiftly over her shoulder and looked down._

_"Now, there are many names that come to mind for that trunk of yours, sweetheart, but monotonous is certainly not among them."_

_She smacked him lightly across the arm for his teasing comment, hoping to pass the blush on her cheeks off as a reaction to the building heat around them in the heavy air._

_By the widening smile on his face, Annixia knew she had failed._

_"Pervert."_

_Strong arms winding around her waist, he pressed his lips gently to her forehead._

_"Only for you." The mood shifted from light teasing to full blown playfulness as he swooped her up into a cradle hold suddenly, and began carrying her over the threshold._

_With no other option, she linked her hands behind his neck and rolled her overbright eyes._

_"Lovely; you know, if we ever do this for real, it had better be in a place with a little more hygiene than this."_

_The words had tumbled from her lips before she even thought them through and she automatically stiffened, expecting Sirius to do the same._

_She had just implied the M word; a rookie mistake with high school boys._

_With no way to rectify it, she simply awaited his response._

_He didn't miss a beat, carrying her continuously up the stairs (something that, had she been paying attention, would have worried her greatly) his eyes set on hers._

_"__When__we do this for real, love, I'll have already bought you the world."_

_Surprised, and very thankful that neither of them were commitment phobic's, Annixia took a moment to wonder just how fast they were going._

_They'd only been together four months..._

_Far longer than Sirius had ever even attempted._

_Flattered and feeling special, Annixia let her mind wander over the different steps of their relationship so far, how sweet it had been; how wonderful._

_Not perfect, obviously; but wonderful._

_What had happened to the girl that had wanted to take things slow?_

_She supposed it had taken a page of her heart's book and missed a few beats._

_Annixia certainly wasn't complaining._

_Serious expression gone, Sirius nudged the bedroom door open with his foot and stepped through right into the centre of the room, twirling her once as he triumphantly announced;_

_"Tada!"_

_She laughed lightly at his boyish grin and he bounced her legs once before placing them down onto solid ground once more, keeping her hands securely locked at the back of his neck._

_His immediately went to her waist._

_And they just stood there for a moment, assessing each other's gazes._

_His right hand slowly travelled the length of her torso, shivers erupting through her nerves and goose bumps tainting her skin, stopping on the side of her neck, thumb caressing her cheekbone lovingly._

_"What did i ever do to deserve you?"_

_Annixia's smile was wide as she twirled a lock of ash around her forefinger, looking playfully contemplative._

_"Do you believe in bad karma?"_

_She joked, raising her eyebrows in suggestion._

_Smiling, Sirius shook his head._

_"Not in this case. Whatever it was, something tells me i pleased the angels."_

_"Oh really?"_

_Annixia responded, her tone light but eyes smouldering beneath his intense stare._

_She didn't miss the smirk still gracing his features, nor the fact that his hand had snaked back around her middle._

_"Well they sent me you, didn't they?"_

_Nixi laughed loudly._

_"Very smooth, love."_

_He grinned and nodded, loving the sound of his pet name on her lips,_

_"I thought so."_

_His head lowered to hers and she tiptoed, letting out a quick 'mhmm' of agreement before their mouths met and everything else became an insignificant blur._

_Nothing could touch them as they bypassed space and slowly blended with the stars._

_His tongue grazed her lips, requesting entrance._

_She granted it with a slight sound of pleasure._

_Sirius grinned into the kiss._

_Reluctantly, in need of oxygen, they slowly pulled away and her head fell automatically into his sculpted chest, feeling the vibrations as he laughed._

_Sighing her disappointment, Annixia announced that they should probably make their way back to the school._

_"After all, it's just turned half ten."_

_She read off her watch, checking the darkness in the window for confirmation._

_Since the room was still dimly lit, she assumed magic was at work around them._

_Not just literally either._

_Sirius laughed again;_

_"Why? Worried what Lily will be thinking?"_

_Nixi rolled her eyes._

_Her redheaded friend had yet to come to terms with Sirius' unpredictability and reputation, but Annixia argued that she could hardly talk, being the exclusive mistress of none other than James Potter; the 'Pratt' himself._

_As it was, Annixia found that she got on exceedingly well with her best friend's new beau, who was also, coincidentally, her beau's best friend._

_If only the favour was returned._

_"Believe it or not, i don't think too much on my best friend when I'm being romantic with you; in fact," She rectified, tiptoeing again to graze his lips, "I don't think about much of anything when I'm with you." Her voice had dropped to a whisper._

_A growl sounded low in Sirius' throat and she smiled lightly in triumph, his lips numbing hers once more before finding her neck._

_She gasped, closed her eyes and fell into his hands._

_Her reaction and the new red mark on her neck proved it;_

_She was his._

_And Annixia couldn't even protest._

_"Sirius..."_

_His eyes reached hers again and a new feeling encapsulated her; she barely registered them walking backwards, her back meeting velvet as his skilled hands trembled over her skin, lightly grazing her stomach under the black vest top she was wearing._

_But not for long._

_The night became darker without either of them noticing, or caring for that matter, more clothes collected dust on the floor as they moulded into one another, their skins dancing underneath the pressure of each other's fingertips and lips._

_Fire coursed through them, however, after closing her eyes in pleasure, Annixia's gaze would always meet Sirius' again, burning silver with a mesh of emotions._

_They hadn't lost anything that night to each other; but they had gained something new._

_Neither could quite figure out what it was but Sirius had once described it to her the best way he could:_

_As everything._

_The sun rose and so did Annixia, tangled up in the man she loved, only to find him awake already, his tender gaze spying her shifting form._

_"Good morning, Nix."_

_He was careful not to use any form of pet name, doubts running through his mind._

_Had he been gentle enough? Did she know that he still wanted all of her? That he wouldn't be going anywhere?_

_Was__she__going anywhere?_

_His worry washed away when that beautiful smile graced her face._

_"Good morning, love."_

_Sirius' reactive grin caused Annixia to giggle lightly as he tightly pulled her naked body as close as possible to his, burying his face in her neck and kissing it lightly._

_Again, she laughed, this time taking in the clothes splayed everywhere, not to mention their handprints on the walls, imprinted through the dust._

_He just smiled down on her._

_"Well," she began, trailing patterns with her fingers across the muscles of his carved chest, causing him to shiver above her, "I have to admit that right now I'm curious about Lily's reaction."_

_Laughing, they both knew that it wouldn't be the last time they'd find themselves on that velvet bed, tangled in one another._

The feeling of calloused skin brushing away a stray tear awoke Annixia from her bittersweet symphony of sub-consciousness and shocked her heart into overdrive.

She knew that touch...

Prying open her overbright eyes, Nixi registered the complete look of shock and regret in her dream man's eyes before her brain kicked into motion.

He was here, and here was the present...

Croaky, she whispered, numb beyond recognition;

"Sirius?"

_It's long and finally here, chapter 14! Hope you enjoyed it, let me know :D_


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: *sigh* not mine :'( except Nix, of course…

Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 1.5 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]

Sirius had known something was wrong as soon as his canine self had entered the temporary living arrangement he had claimed as his own. Something seemed gentle, like the Shack was softer somehow.

At first he didn't understand; if someone was there then it would be a danger sign, not producing a welcoming radiation. However, confusion turned to curiosity when he spied a line of clarity through the dust on the wall before five fingerprints appeared along a claw mark.

Who was there?

'Only one way to find out' he thought, his state of mind present enough (thanks to a rare full stomach) to change into Padfoot once more, forever thankful to the powers at be and Remus for his alter ego.

Without dwelling on it; acting and not thinking, Sirius scampered up the stairs and bounded through the corridor, ready to pounce on any intruder that may be in his pitiful bedroom.

Only to stop dead in his tracks.

Because it seemed as though he'd just stepped across the threshold of reality and fantasy.

Like a dream, Annixia Dexter was curled on top of his covers, her eyes closed gently and breathing even, shielded by her scarlet coat.

Was this for real?

Automatically it seemed, his body reacting to hers, he found himself once again a man walking in desperation towards his fiancée, his steps silent and body fluid as he sank down beside her, simply staring at her beauty.

His imagination had not done her justice; her bronze skin, ash curls, crimson lips... how could he ever match what God had created?

It was then his silver eyes spied two wet trails cascading down her rosy cheeks, leaking from between her heavy lids and catching momentarily on her dark lashes before falling heartbreakingly.

Sirius felt his heartstrings rip painfully and wanted nothing more to take her captive in his arms and never let go. Unfortunately, lest he disturb her, he had to settle only for brushing away her pain with a callused thumb.

But it seemed his touch affected her as much as hers did him and, despite his blind panic, Sirius found himself frozen and unable to move as her golden eyes revealed themselves and held him in place.

For the first time, he cursed her ability to stop his heart, only for it to kick start when she began to speak, her eyes bright with alertness and confusion.

"Sirius?"

He forgot how to breathe.

Annixia sat up after a second's hesitation and his hand fell away from her face, coming to rest limply beside his stoic self. He simply stared at her, smouldering while she gazed back, confused and shocked, her body alert and mind on edge, goose bumps of recognition spreading along her skin like wildfire, making her hairs stand on end.

Her mind and heart were both going a mile a minute, only in opposing directions, tearing her apart until she could do nothing but gasp. Her frequent headaches made themselves known once more as Annixia felt a slow thudding at in her right temple hat signalled the beginning of an explosive danger within her own health.

What was he doing in the Shrieking Shack? What was he doing so close to her?

What was he doing to her as a whole?

Common sense catching up to her finally, she registered discreetly that her wand had not been extracted from her back pocket and mentally gave a sigh of relief. Whilst always a talented duellist she knew that, physically, she would be no match for him should he choose to attack her.

Attack her.

What a strange notion for her to attach to Sirius of all people, the love of her life.

But, she supposed, had she expected her mind to tell her otherwise? She was a rational person in all aspects of life except for when it came to the one thing that could honestly and completely destroy her.

"Sirius?" Her voice sounded too loud in her ears, and yet so far away..."I-i don't...I-i can't..." She took a deep breath, hyper aware of her surroundings and yet so oblivious to her own self. Every particle of dust that fell on her skin created a jolt in her nerves and yet her eyes didn't leave his form.

She took a deep breath and tried again, reciting something Aurors, upon arrest, are obligated to announce. Something he had taught her; "Sirius Black, you are a Wanted Criminal and, under the Minister Cornelius Fudge's assessed instruction, as an enforcer of law, i must, and by any means necessary, place you under arrest."

Her voice shook and Annixia, had she been able to pause on a thought, would have scolded her pathetic self for being so weak and defenceless. She removed her wand from the back pocket of her jeans and held it before her, only slightly shivering, the tip pointed, as steadily as she could manage, at what might as well have been her very own heart.

Sirius watched her silently, feeling his chest constrict to the point that breathing was no longer possible. He couldn't even register the wand in his face; in fact, he couldn't tear his eyes away from her face.

She looked so broken. That strong soul of hers, the impenetrable shield...

Had he done that to her?

Annixia barely had the notion to move back as he rose from the mattress, before the thought was lost in a mess of murmured, half piece judgment. Sirius stepped methodically closer to her and she felt more and more like a cornered animal.

What was he doing? Why wasn't she fighting?

His chest was pressed against her wand and she knew she wouldn't even have to whisper the words if she didn't want, she could simply command in her mind the revenge so many wished to inflict upon him.

It would only take one thought.

But she couldn't. And Sirius knew that.

In fact, he was counting on it.

Gently, he wrapped familiar long fingers around her slim wrist, Annixia attempting to force away the warm, pleasurable feeling sinking in through her skin and spreading. He was so contagious. No longer hesitating, he tugged her close and she stopped resisting when her fisted hands, still holding her wand, were pressed tightly against his hard chest and his strong arms were encasing her again.

How she had longed for this, how she had longed for any contact these past years, while she had been alone and he had been...in prison.

Reality suddenly crashed down on them and Annixia used all the power she could to push him away. The shock of her efforts caused his arms to drop down again and the gold of her eyes were suddenly shining in overbright awareness.

A stab went through Sirius' heart at the small sign of rejection.

Tears welled in Annixia's eyes and the throbbing in her temple began to spread like fire through her forehead. She began to shiver again, this time out of hurt and complete and utter...anger.

It licked at her words, the surface seemingly pure fury but underneath it all they both were intuitive enough to know that it was hurt that fuelled her speech...hurt that fuelled her everything as of late.

"Is that supposed to make everything better, Sirius?" She began, her voice raised already, even though she was sure it would have more effect were she to whisper it. But it wasn't about him at that moment – it was about conveying how she felt and right then, she felt like shouting. "Is that how it's going to work for you? One hug and suddenly i forget that you murdered our best friends? _My_best friends? Not to mention thirteen innocent bystanders and the attempted murder of _my_Godson?"

She needed to calm down and they both knew it. Not often did Annixia work herself into hysteria but whenever she did it tended to end with her collapsing out of pure exhaustion.

But she just couldn't stop.

"How dare you? How _could_you?" She bypassed the desperation in her tone that snapped Sirius in half almost and went straight back to anger, storming up to him and grabbing his hands.

Sarcastically, synically, she announced in mocking, "What, no knife? I'm surprised at you Sirius Black, i thought you were willing to sink to that level. How disappointing."

His eyebrows knitted together in a gravitational pull but before a word could worm its way from between his lips, she was continuing with a scoff. He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"How long?" She barked and he shook his head in confusion, his eyes a silver mesh of puzzlement, "How long were you working for your sworn enemy against those you claimed to love? Since James and Lily married? During your Auror training? Hogwarts? Before you even uttered the words that you loved _me_, were you planning to worm your way into the very circles of hell and betray everyone that loved _you_?

James, Lily, Peter; they loved you, Sirius and look what you did to them! Look what you're trying to do to Harry now – what happened to you? Where the hell did it all go wrong?"

Annixia paused long enough to wipe away the tears, sighting them as a betrayal of her weakness, and took the necessary steps away from him to stand in the middle of the room.

Sirius watched her intently. If only she knew, if only she would shut up long enough for him to tell her! Then she would have a lot less to say, he assumed. But he couldn't bring himself to resent her belief in his conviction. He couldn't bring himself to tear away his eyes.

She was so beautiful at that moment in time, despite the fact that every word cut them both deeper than they could imagine.

She didn't stop, only this time, her voice was softer and filled with every ounce of emotion she had. The tears continued to fall.

"Do you have any idea, Sirius? Do you honestly not know what you did to us all? How you destroyed us all? You may not have taken a wand to me, Sirius Black, but you might as well have finished me off too. Sometimes, i find myself wishing you had."

Whatever was left of him snapped then and a fire began to burn in his eyes, one that very nearly scared Annixia and suddenly he was in front of her, hands on her upper arms and forcing her against the wall – not painfully, but tightly enough to be uncomfortable.

He shook her once and glared into those eyes, almost having forgotten the feeling of her body against his, despite the previous 'hug' they had shared. She was mesmerizing to him in every single way so for the very thought of her dying, especially at his hand, that was enough to make Sirius react.

To make him wilt inside.

"Are you listening to yourself, Annixia Scarlett Dexter? Do hear what you're saying? It's one thing to accuse me of being responsible for the deaths of our best friend but for you to even think i could ever-" He broke off, not even being able to bring himself to finish the thought, let alone say it out loud, "Hurting you is not something i have the strength to even consider, for me to process; for you to say you wish i'd-" Sirius' voice broke again and it was then Annixia realized she was breathing heavily, and so was he, in perfect synch.

The feel of his body, still muscular, no doubt from his recent need to constantly escape, sent her pulse sky rocketing and the sudden need to pull him closer overthrew her senses. She only just managed to stay grounded, no doubt due to the hands holding her in place.

"Just don't, Nix. Don't say it, don't think it and don't you ever believe it."

Softly, scathingly, she looked right into his fierce silver eyes and, resisting the trembling of her wanting lips, said, "Should i believe you instead?"

"In your current condition, i doubt you'll even listen to what i have to say, Annixia, even if it is the only true account you'll get to hear."

"My current condition?" She scoffed, offended by the insinuation, "Surprisingly Sirius, i don't appreciate the implication of incompetence you seem to associate with me, particularly when you consider the fact that for twelve damn years of my life i've been surviving without the one person i know i can never not love."

Sirius' eyes widened slightly but continued to burn into her soul. He began to feel his throat scratch and realized if he didn't get a better hold on himself then he'd be nothing more than a disturbed mess by the time this was over.

And he didn't want to think about it being over.

"You still love me." He stated, almost judging her for being so stupid. She shouldn't love him; she knew it and he knew it, common sense dictated it. And yet nothing was like the feeling that accompanied that knowledge.

She licked her lips and crossed her arms, shaking off his hands which immediately found the wall beside her body, essentially trapping her.

But she wasn't going anywhere.

This was her chance for closure, and she wasn't letting that escape her grasp so easily.

"And my subconscious refuses to let me forget it. You haunt me, Sirius. Every night, every time i close my eyes, i remember, i relive it. Every touch, every moment – it's etched into my very soul, imprinted in my heart, and i can't shake it." The tears, again, began fall she quickly swiped them away. "What happened to us, Sirius? We were so strong and now-" Her voice broke and she took a moment to swallow the gulp in her throat, "-now you're an escapee murderer and i'm insane for loving you still. But that's all i know how to do...it's all i've _ever_ known how to do."

Desperately, she searched his face for answers in her anguish, her moment of pure vulnerability, and found within the laugh lines that she was surprised he had obtained, a reason for her complete and utter love for him.

Something she could only explain to another as it had once been described to her:

As everything.

Surprising herself, she was found to be considering something she had never dared to before; his innocence.

After all, he had never been fairly tried; there had never been real solid proof that would have been needed for an actual conviction. Everyone had just assumed that he was the Potter's Secret Keeper, even she had, but what if that wasn't the case?

What if it was someone else?

"Sirius..." She had to know, before she dare get her hopes up, "I'm begging you to tell me the truth; i need to know the truth, one way or the other."

He shook his head, she didn't even need to finish before he was answering, lowering his forehead closer to hers and pleading with his eyes for her to believe him. "I didn't." Closing her eyes, she exhaled and bit her lip, shaking her head. He pressed closer to her. "I know it sounds so pitiful in this moment, after everything you'll have heard, but i can explain, Nixi, i can explain everything."

He sounded so desperate, so honest, she didn't know how to reply. Added to that the pounding in her head was becoming more erratic and painful, the only think she could think to say was the very thing that had been on the tip of her tongue for so long now.

"I love you." Warmth encased him and he closed his eyes, breathing her in. She stepped closer, her hands finding their own way to rest flat against his chest while one of his went to the back of her neck, the other to her hip. She felt so good...

"I love you." He replied and, despite his best efforts, he found tears escaping his own eyes. He buried himself in her hair and couldn't stop the sob of pure disbelief and complete relief from shaking his body. Sirius held tighter to her but it wasn't long before she pulled back slightly and look into those persuasive silver eyes.

"It's because of that love though, Sirius, that i believe you. I just don't want to be proved wrong again. I can't do that, i wouldn't survive it. I'm sure your explanation is satisfactory but i just can't hear it right now." She croaked out and shut her eyes against the total pain that suddenly ran rampant around her head.

"Annixia," Sirius stepped forward, concern etched into every line of his face, "love, what's wrong?"

The use of a pet name didn't help – it was just too much, all of it. She'd been so sensitive as of late, at the mercy of her tyrannical mind that had just been pummelled into nothing but a pile of discarded and broken thoughts. From his escape, to her dreams, to Harry and Remus, teaching, Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape, the past, the present...and now this. Everything just seemed to catch up with her and, she assumed, this was her minds way of telling her it couldn't handle anymore.

That it was going to give out.

Sirius had seen this in her before – Annixia had always been strong and that led to her biting off, quite often, more than she could chew. During the first war, when James and Sirius had gone on a mission for the Order and Lily was pregnant, he'd come back to find her in St Mungo's being treated for stress, exhaustion and dehydration due to all of her worrying and her constant need to look after others forgoing her own health.

And he had lectured her many times about how dangerous it was.

Trying to shake away the sudden dizzy spell that captured her, Annixia closed her eyes and moved her head from side to side, suddenly colder now that evening had fallen and Sirius' arms were no longer around her.

She needed to get back to the castle; immediately.

Breathing as deep as she could, though still too shallow for health's sake, she attempted an explanation: "I-i just can't – i-"

Like her brain had just been split in two, white hot pain seared through her head and, without her noticing, Annixia's knees gave out from under her and consciousness slipped through her fingertips.

Sirius' reflexes kicked into drive and he leaped forward, just in time catch her before she connected harshly with the weak wooden floor and either broke it or something of herself. He lifted her properly, cradled her and made sure the wand was in her pocket.

In a reverse situation of complete irony he used the backdoor as a means of escape and, carefully, as to not raise any suspicions, stole away under the cover of darkness onto the very edge of the Forbidden Forest where he laid her far-too-warm body on the softest patch he could find.

Stealing the wand from her pocket, he took a deep breath and placed his lips to her forehead in a sign of total affection, brushing back her fringe as he did so and simply look at her for a moment. He dreaded leaving her there in the snow, where it was cold and could very well make her condition worse, but he didn't know what else to do.

Obviously taking her back to the castle himself was not an option.

Sighing, he sent red sparks into the night sky, twice for certainty, and then placed her limp hand around the handle of her wand, making her seem the one that cast the incantation. Help would soon find her and, after squeezing her hand one last time, Sirius had to resign himself to the fact that he could do no more than that.

Only watch as Hagrid discovered her in her scarlet coat and carry her back into the distance.

A/N : It's been a while, i know, and the other was a cliff hanger but tada! Here it is! I'm not actually a massive fan of this chapter myself but it has to be done to follow the plot of the story… or, my story plot, should I say? :P

Fflight brought to attention the fact that Nix is a MarySue, and she is completely right! I wrote this story when I was younger and at the stage where I wanted perfection in my stories since reality really isn't like that… now I'm older, I can appreciate that it makes for a less interesting read, and a shallower plot but I'm not dedicated enough to edit this one. If I write another I promise it'll deeper and less Feminist Barbie ;) for now, I hope you're enjoying and much thanks to all of my reviewers – you keep me sharing my work :)

Much love :)


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer - Still not mine… though I would not mind if Mr. Black turned up in my stocking for Christmas this year…

Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 1.6 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]

_**Annixia furrowed her perfectly-plucked eyebrows, swapping a curious look with Lily who sat on her right; her chair scooted close to James'. Remus perched alert to her left, eyes bright with awareness and, beside him, Peter twitched nervously. Nixi and Sirius, however, were closer than she would have thought appropriate in the vicinity of their Headmaster, especially considering they were in his office.**_

_**As soon as she made to seat herself in the chair beside Lily's, Sirius had literally lifted her away, sat himself their comfortably before depositing Annixia in his lap, as easily as if she were nothing more than a ragdoll.**_

_**She had glared, attempted to stand (only for it to be proved impossible, Sirius' vice grip keeping her still) and blushed several shades of red when Dumbledore's eyes twinkled knowingly at the two of them.**_

_**Sirius had grinned; Annixia had groaned.**_

_**Had everyone but her known this would be the outcome of a one-sided hatred?**_

_**She was the first to speak when Dumbledore finished.**_

_"**The Order of the Phoenix?"**_

_**Albus sat forward, fingers clasped at the ends, diligently observing the room occupants. He smiled benignly and answered:**_

_"**Yes, an organization i have been recruiting for this last year and a half; ever since Voldemort's attempts at power have become more pronounced i have feared the outcome and, while i would like to believe i have talent enough to control him, it is certainly not sufficient to stop the occurrence of a war."**_

_**James leant forward, elbows on knees;**_

_"**A war, sir? You think that's where this is all leading?"**_

_**Albus nodded solemnly, "Unfortunately, James, i see no other conclusion."**_

_**A silence fell over the office, thick with reality and Annixia was grateful, all so suddenly, that Sirius had been insistent over the seating arrangement. Her left hand covered his where it rested against her stomach and she laced their fingers.**_

_**He gave a squeeze of comfort as he began to speak, "And, if we were to adhere, what types of assignments are we talking about? How would we help, exactly?"**_

_**Dumbledore tilted his head, as though considering his answer, "For those capable and willing, there are certain missions available, such as spying, halting recruitment methods, dispersing rallies, gathering information, etcetera, etcetera. For the members with less vigour for duelling, there is a need for safe-housing, medicine distribution, transportation, message relaying and so on and so forth.**_

_**I will not lie and tell you there will never be a need for fighting – Death Eaters are dangerous and will attack to gain what their Master needs; if Voldemort knows you are actively working against him one of those needs will include your disposal.**_

_**Your membership is a public declaration against his tyranny and The Dark Lord will not tolerate disobedience; i need you to bear this in mind when you make your decision."**_

_**Annixia resisted the pleasured squirm in her stomach as Sirius buried his nose in her neck, the stubble on his chin tickling the delicate skin there. He breathed out, warm and moist, and she felt his entire body tense in anxiety. Worried, she ran her thumb back and forth along his much larger hand, tracing patterns every now and again to form a distraction.**_

_**She felt the thankful kiss he pressed into the crook of her shoulder.**_

_**Remus cleared his throat, effectively breaking the silence and Sirius slowly raised his head back up, pulling her tighter into the shape of his body, as close as the human anatomy would allow.**_

_"**If we decide to join the Order, professor, when would we become active members?"**_

_"**If you permit, as soon as you graduate; everyday Voldemort gains furthermore allegiance and the longer it continues without resistance, the more danger we face when we do begin our fight. Already, there are members, some of them you know personally, other's you won't, which are diligently working against Voldemort's efforts. The movement is by no means small, but i believe the talents in this room will make all the difference.**_

_**Do not, however, feel pressure to commit yourself to such a dangerous cause without the passion to do so; if you wish not to do this then you need only say so; i will not think any less of you."**_

_**Nobody moved.**_

_**Lily looked from one person to the next, gorging the reaction. Remus, James and Sirius were all so resolute, their handsome faces contorted into such a fierce affirmation that Annixia felt a swell of pride for her friends. When Lily looked to her, Nixi could only smile in determination, and nod, feeling a sudden movement across her waist as Sirius' arms tightened marginally.**_

_**He didn't seem too happy about that.**_

_**Peter must have nodded, twitching only slightly, when Lily turned to their Headmaster, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.**_

_"**We'll do it, sir."**_

_**The common room was empty when Sirius, Annixia, Remus and Peter returned from the meeting, James and Lily having veered left down to their Head Boy and Girl dorms. Before they parted though, hugs had been shared, best friend to best friend, and when Lily had pulled back, James had pulled her in.**_

_**Sirius and Lily had stood awkwardly for that time, not quite friendly enough for such actions, while James whispered quietly, "Try not to be too hard on him tonight; he's only worried."**_

_**Annixia had an inkling as to what he was talking about and nodded, head pitifully reaching only his mid-torso.**_

_**So when Sirius stopped short and turned to face her, she wasn't surprised, nor was she to see Remus and Peter hurriedly make for the boy's staircase.**_

_**Annixia sighed;**_

_**It was going to be a tough night.**_

Anni let out a loud groan when she woke up, squinting open her eyes, attempting, in vein, to lessen the harsh impact of ridiculously white light on her sensitive retinas. She winced when a voice sounded at her bedside; who had taken a jackhammer to her skull?

"Nix? Nixi, are you awake?"

She registered the deep voice, caught the undertone of panic and from that, deduced where she was. The Hospital Wing, with Remus. How had she gotten there? What had happened? She was with Sirius only a moment ago...

It all came rushing back. Her shouting; his embrace; her confessions, his innocence...

Her fainting.

She groaned again. Fabulous.

"I wish i wasn't." She heard him chuckle lightly, didn't bother to move from her lying down position, moving her left hand to message her forehead. The other, she realized, was immobile, clasped by Remus' own hand.

He squeezed it gently.

_He gave a squeeze of comfort as he began to speak._

Annixia exhaled shakily, returning the gesture with difficulty. Why did she feel so weak? "What happened?" She croaked, a sudden panic welling up, locating itself in the very focus of her chest. They didn't have Sirius, she assured herself, they couldn't have...

"You didn't come back after patrols in Hogsmeade with Professor Vector so Dumbledore got rather worried – told the staff to keep an eye out, just as a precaution," He soothed when he saw she was about to object- she was no chid; she didn't need babysitting, "Hagrid, luckily for us all, did a sweep of the grounds and found you, unconscious, on the edge of the Forbidden Forest after you'd sent out red sparks. He carried you back, thankfully before the snow could do you too much harm."

She yawned and shook her head slightly, "So what's the damage then?"

Remus sighed and shook his head, "Well, according to Poppy's many, many examinations, the headaches you've been receiving, which you've said nothing about," he sent her a glower and she tried to smile innocently, "Are the result of a progressing psychological stress. It's taking a toll on your well being...again."

Annixia nodded in understanding, "Sounds familiar."

Lupin sighed, squeezing her hand again, "I'm not going to lecture you, Anni; not when you've heard it all before. But why didn't you tell me it was getting too much? You knew the signs..."

"I realize now that telling someone would have probably saved me a _lot_of hassle, but i thought i could handle it." She shrugged and swallowed a yawn. How long had she been out of it?

"You're stubborn."

"I know. And it's going to be the death of me one day, no doubt."

Remus sighed and sat back, running a hand over his tired face and exhaling warily, "Seems like we have a lot to discuss when you wake up."

"But I'm awake now." She furrowed her eyebrows, confused.

He sent her a wry grin and picked a deep red vile off the cabinet beside her bed, "Not for long." He teased and she groaned, again, in disgust. "Now, now, Healer's orders, Nix; neither of us have a choice in the matter, I'm afraid."

Scowling, she took the bottle from his hand and leant forward, speaking before tilting it back; "Bottoms up."

She gulped it down in two mouthfuls, hacking out a cough quickly as Lupin rubbed her back soothingly, pushing her gently to lie back down.

"Sweet dreams, An."

_"**You're not doing this."**_

_**Tired, Annixia turned to face Sirius, her eyes moving from his tall frame, strong arms crossed in determination, eyes trained stonily on her, to the common room entrance he was blocking.**_

_**She really wasn't in the mood.**_

_"**Don't be hypocritical, Sirius."**_

_**His expression didn't even twitch.**_

_"**You're not doing this, Annixia."**_

_**Surprised by his use of her full name, Nixi's eyebrows shot up and her eyes hardened slightly; she tried hard to bear in mind James' words of caution.**_

_"**Are you going to?"**_

_**Sirius shook his head, arms dropping so he could run an anxious hand through his perfectly, naturally styled hair, only for it to fall back into place automatically. He sighed out, and paused before answering.**_

_"**That's beyond the point."**_

_**Annixia almost laughed, instead, she leant against the back of the couch and bit her lip gently, taking on Sirius' previous stance, crossing her arms.**_

_"**No, Sirius, it's exactly the point. You get to decide your own actions and i won't interfere, but you're going to have to extend me the same courtesy."**_

_**He shook his head adamantly, moving closer to her in a rush;**_

_"**Fuck courtesy, Annixia! I don't give a damn about that! What i care about is your safety – Merlin, can you even comprehend how dangerous all of this is?"**_

_**She stood straight abruptly and glared right into his eyes, only two feet from him;**_

_"**I'm not stupid, Sirius; i know what I'm getting myself into."**_

_**He took a step back, his hands spreading apart as his voice raised in volume but lowered in pitch:**_

_"**Do you?! Do you, really?! Annixia, you have no idea what it's like – what**___they're___**like! I spent sixteen years of my life living in complete and utter insanity: They're ruthless, Annixia, and i don't want you getting involved! Understood?"**_

_"**No!" She disagreed, a hand moving swiftly to rest on her hip, the other pointing directly at him, "No, Sirius, i don't! What i do understand, however, is that, whether i join the Order or not, I'm going to be a target – the danger is extended to civilians as well! And what i need**____**you**____**to understand is that, just like Lily and James and Remus and Peter, i have to do this! I have to do this otherwise I'm going to explode!**_

_**These past few years I've seen people, children and adults alike, torn apart by**____**Him, I've seen what he's done, what his servants have done to strangers, friends, to**____**you!**____**And i am not going to sit back and let them do it to you again and I'm not going to let them do it to our friends either!"**_

_**Sirius shook his head, eyes pleading, his voice lowering and taking on a slight rasp.**_

_"**That's not your responsibility."**_

_**Annixia, blinking back tears, choked on her laugh as she ran her own hand through her curls, avoiding the tangles.**_

_"**Yeah and it's not yours either. Is it going to stop you?"**_

_**He moved forward, heart wrenching at the sight of her tears, and leant over, trapping her with his arms as his hands grasped the couch behind her. His body skimmed hers and his breath, warm and moist, brushed her features.**_

_"**You're so young, though, Nix. Only just legal..."**_

_**She shook her head, swallowing her tears as his hand came up to cup her face gently, his thumb brushing the length of her cheekbone gently, the calluses on his skin contrasting delightfully with the softness of hers.**_

_"**I'm perfectly capable, Sirius. My age isn't a factor."**_

_"**Maybe not to you." He whispered, searching her eyes as she licked away the dryness on her lips.**_

_**She snorted, locked her jaw and met his gaze, eyes burning in their intense molten gold. The tears released the colour in the green accents and Sirius, if he wanted to, couldn't look away.**_

_"**I didn't hear you complaining last week, back in the Shrieking Shack."**_

_**He jolted as though she'd slapped him, and Annixia closed her eyes against the hurt she found in his. She shouldn't have said that, she wished immediately that she hadn't.**_

_"**Do you regret it?"**_

_**He rasped out, moving to step back. She caught his belt loops though and tugged him closer again, shaking her head as she did so.**_

_"**No, i don't, and i never will, Sirius." He closed his eyes and let his forehead find hers, nudging her nose with his own, relief coursing his burning veins. "Just like i know i won't regret being part of the only opportunity there is to salvage what's left of the Wizarding world. I need to do this, Sirius. You have to let me do this."**_

_**His arms moved to encircle her waist, bringing her nearer to him as he let out a shaky breath.**_

_"**Is there nothing i can say or do to change your mind?"**_

_**She shook her head, moving her hands from the waist belt of his jeans and upward, slowly along the height if his broad chest.**_

_"**Then i guess I'm going to have to be ok with this." A smile graced her features and she leaned up, pressing her lips to his so discreetly it felt as though a butterfly had just swept past them. He then murmured against her pout, "But i swear to Merlin if you get hurt there is no way in hell, heaven or earth that i am not being permitted to kill whatever son-of-bitch touched you. That's my condition."**_

_**Annixia sighed and pulled away slightly, only so she could plead with his eyes;**_

_"**How about we leave the negotiations for the morning? There are a lot of other things that i would much rather be doing right now, with you so close to me."**_

_**Sirius allowed a soft smile to grace his chiselled face before swooping down in order to capture her lips in a slow, desperate kiss. He needed that, right then and there.**_

_**And he'd need her for always.**_

Heyyyy guys! I just wanted to say a massive thank you to all of my amazing reviewers – you have no idea how much I appreciate opening my account and seeing your support. A truly means a lot and propels this story in ways you cannot imagine.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter – much of the past I know and little consequence of the meeting-fiasco – but give it a little time. The next one will (hopefully) not take as long to come your way – maybe even as a Christmas present if you're feeling lucky… :P

Please continue to review. I love to hear from you all.

Much love and good tidings to you all!


	17. Chapter 17

Title: W.O.M.A.N [A Sirius Black Tale] P.A.R.T 1.7 [Wonderfully Omniscient, Magnificently Addictive and Necessary; very Necessary.]

Thankfully, and after a lot of unashamed, unadulterated persuasion that later bordered begging, Annixia was released from the Hospital Wing, both herself and Remus, her self –proclaimed escort, ladled with potions of every sickening colour of a demonic rainbow.

And so that afternoon found Annixia ordering them, via when she would need to take them, in her bathroom cabinet while, from his lax position across her couch, Lupin called out bits of information she had missed.

It seemed like she wasn't alone in her dramatic Hogsmeade outing.

"Harry was very reminiscent of his father, actually; sneaking out to Hogsmeade under that damn invisibility cloak, fighting with Malfoy, having it out with Snape...he never really did have a chance, did he? Between Lily's temper and James' knack for trouble."

Annixia shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, hiding a grimace when she picked up a particularly nasty potion of pumpkin orange, more the texture of sponge than liquid. _Yuck._"Quite honestly I'm just thanking whatever luck he lives by that it exists, with little help from Harry himself, apparently."

Remus snorted and began twirling his wand between long fingers, shooting his friend an amused glance; "That's not even the half of it. Snape ended up confiscating an-all-too-familiar item off of your beloved Godson and sent for me to identify it."

She knitted her brow in confusion, "An-all-too-familiar item that he needed _you_ for? What are you...?" Her eyes widened and she abandoned her cause, standing and marching into the living room of her quarters, "The Marauder's Map? He had the Map? How on earth...?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Remus shrugged, halting his habit in order to sit up and make room for Annixia, who plonked, rather ungracefully and out-of-character, beside him, "Apparently, Snape thought it might be amusing to try and catch me out, asking if Harry had, perhaps, received it _straight from the manufacturers."_

Again, Nixi shook her head, "But it was sequestered in Seventh Year, when Peter left it in the library that night and Filch tried to read it..."

Lupin nodded in affirmation, "I managed to pass it off as a Zonko's product, with a little unexpected help from Ron, and then re-confiscated it."

"Without comment?" She lifted a suspicious eyebrow as a smirk tugged familiarly at the corner of her lips.

He sent her a wry look, "I wish i could say i had enough impact that, perhaps from here on out, Harry might think twice before jumping into troubled situations head-first, but i don't think even Merlin himself is _that_ good."

She let a light laugh, "No, i have to agree; that sort of thing, it's in the blood and trying to dissuade Harry...it's like asking a leopard to change its spots; tiring and completely ineffective." Shaking her head, Annixia sat back, biting down a yawn. How could she be tired? She'd slept for over twenty-four-sodding-hours. "So, the Map's back in Marauder possession; should i be worried?"

"Like you ever needed to be," Remus snorted, watching her wryly as she curled into a ball, turning to face him, "The only time your name came up on the pranking agenda was in order to avoid you; or when Sirius thought he had come up with a break-through technique in order to end your elusiveness." He added as an afterthought and Annixia's face softened. He caught it and realized his mistake, "Oh bugger, Nix, I'm so sorry – i didn't mean to-"

She shook her head avidly, picking at her nails, staring at them as though they were the most invigorating and interesting thing she had ever seen in her life, "No, it's ok; it's been thirteen years, after all..." Her mind blanched and she made a split second decision; she needed to tell him, her health was at stake and, not to mention, he was her best friend. Would he understand? "I still dream about it, y'know."

Remus looked at her curiously, wearily; "About what, exactly?"

She shrugged lightly, her lips turning into a frown as she tried to dig out invisible dirt from under her fingernails with her other hand, "Lots of things: Hogwarts really, back when we were Seventh years and Sirius and i," she swallowed, "Became an item. All the most important events from our relationship...it's like I've got them all on playback in my mind chronologically...almost like I'm subconsciously looking for something – a sign, a give-away action that i should have noticed back then: Something to tell me that he_is_guilty, the he _deserved_ what he got." Her eyes, for the first time in the short tale, found his, wide and confused, "Only i can't find anything. Not one. Single. Thing."

Lupin observed her, really took a good look at her, and, for the first time in a long time, it shocked him at just how infantile she really was. He had always known she was younger than them, almost two years, but it never really registered in everyday life. It was only at the odd moment, when she looked at him with wide, bordering naive eyes that he really noticed. She was twenty-nine years old, and carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Twenty-nine, going on eighty.

"Annixia," he all but whispered, taking her fidgeting hands in his own, running his much larger thumb along her skin, trying to quell the sight trembling, "I know it's been hard, especially with his escape and these dreams of yours but you can't go thinking like that," he shook his head, ducking to capture her lowered gaze, "He isn't the wronged in this scenario, Nix, we are; us and James, Lily and Peter. And now Harry too." She closed her eyes against his onslaught of words, forcing herself to stop shivering, "No matter how much you want it to be true; how much we _both_want it to be true; he's not a good guy, Annixia. And we found it out the hard way."

She let out a choked laugh, pushing away the opposing thoughts trying to tear her mind in half, "You can say that again."

Smiling sympathetically, he pulled her in for a long hug, and stroked her hair in a soothing manner. Annixia got the feeling that she was being babied and, while half of her cried out in pure indignance, the rest of her tired mind and broken spirit told her that the comfort he was offering was, at that moment in time, the glue she needed to pull herself back together again.

Right then and there, he was her 'Reparo' spell and, subconsciously, Annixia believed that she couldn't have been blessed with a better brother, blood related or not.

Annixia had decided that it would probably not be in her best interest, or anyone else's for that matter, to tell of her encounter with Sirius; instead, she locked it away in the very corner of her mind to mull over briefly when she summoned the courage or energy.

However, every time she had tried she'd only come to a more confused conclusion – who did she believe? The entire world was telling her to forget him, to let him be captured and removed from the rest of society. But her heart, a lone voice in the darkness, pleaded with her, in a tone that was uncannily familiar, to believe him, that he loved her, that everything was a lie.

That he could explain.

Not for the first time, she cursed her stupid reflex to stress. If only she had stayed conscious long enough to get some solid evidence.

Her mind sporadically breached some old advice from a long, lost friend.

_"You're a smart kid, Nix," she scoffed in indignance, "You can argue both sides of any case when you use your head. It's your heart that makes the final decision though; emotions trump logic, every time."_

_She shook her head, "You're just one big, walking cliché, you know that?"_

_James grinned and nodded; "I do, and i also know someone that can't get enough of it." He wiggled his eyebrows and hurried to catch up with Lily, throwing an easy arm _

_around her shoulders as she jumped and laughed simultaneously._

Annixia wondered vaguely if, with hindsight, James might have some different advice

for her.

Either way, since he didn't have that talent and she didn't have any more counsel to fall back on, she was continuously making her way back to square one.

And it was seriously beginning to irk her.

She was glad for the distraction then, when Harry, on the first day of Easter Break, wandered into her classroom, eyes sweeping the room before resting, finally, on her form, seated at her desk, quill in hand and essays in the other, a look of unhurried concentration on her face.

Upon hearing the door close she glanced up, smiling widely when she spotted her, apparently relieved, Godson and stood to greet him. Harry grinned and returned her easy hug, pulling away in order to inspect her.

Annixia smiled and cocked a brow, resting her weight on one foot and crossing her arms; "Don't you have any studying to be doing, Mister? Finals are fast approaching, y'know, and don't think that just because you're 'in' with the teachers you'll be getting

off easy."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He grinned, rolling his eyes and moving to rest against the table top of the closest desk, "I just thought I'd come see my stranger of a Godmother, since she's been lying half-dead in the Hospital Wing over the weekend and all."

He sent her a pointed look to which she, in turn, rolled her own eyes, "Dramatic much?"

"Dunno," Harry shrugged, "They wouldn't let me in to ask, seeing as you're a teacher and all. For all i knew, and by the rumours circling the school, you'd been kissed by a Dementor or worse! Attacked by Black!"

Ironically, Annixia thought, if he'd take half from the first situation and half from the latter, he'd be onto something but thought it best not to mention that.

"Since when did you put so much stock in gossip?" Harry smiled as she did, _she has a point,_and Annixia continued, moving round her desk to mark the last paper and flick her 12 inch, cherry-wood wand with Griffin hair to organize them, "I just had a dramatic moment; apparently, teaching is stressful! Who would have thought?" She smirked sarcastically. "Besides, i heard you had your own little episode last weekend. Rebel much?"

Harry grinned sheepishly, ducking his head out of embarrassment, "It's a habit."

Annixia let out a laugh, "I'll bet it is! But you'd better leave those stunts at school whenever you come to live with me, sugar – I get a bit hex happy on a bad day. It's not pretty." She sent him a quick wink, and picked the sixth-years practise exam papers up, shuffling them.

Harry's expression became shocked, "I'm going to be living with you?"

"For the second half of the summer, until you turn seventeen and are free to do what you like," she shrugged one shoulder and turned to send him a beaming grin, "That is, of course, if you want to."

Harry stood up, positively glowing, and ran an anxious hand through his hair; "Are you kidding?! Of course i want to! I'd take anyone over the Dursley's any day!"

"Nice to know I'm loved." Annixia rolled her eyes, moving to stand in the centre of the classroom and placing hands on curvy hips.

He shook his head, blushing, "I didn't mean it like that – you're my Godmum, of course i want to live with you, more than anyone!" Annixia, smiling, moved to hug him.

"I was only joking, love – i knew what you meant." She pulled back and watched as the smile on his face lit up familiar green eyes. He moved to say something else.

"And yes, Hermione and Ron can come and visit all you like."

Harry grinned and flushed. Well, his day just got a whole lot better.

Later that night, tucked up in bed, Annixia eyed the soapy concoction in her hand with complete trepidation, borderline hatred, knowing that as soon as she managed to force it past her gag reflex she would be out like a light.

And back in the past.

While not entirely sure how to feel about that, Nixi resigned herself to her fate, took a deep breath and chugged it down, all the while glaring at nothing in particularly.

As the drowsiness found her and the potion began working its way through her bloodstream, Annixia vaguely wandered where she would be taken tonight. Her last visit was the argument, but, depending on how you looked at it, it hadn't ended on a bad note.

So what next?

_"Oh, my God."_

_Lily nodded from her standing position in front of the fire, in the privacy of the common room of the Head's dorms. James wound his arms protectively around her waist, hands resting on her stomach. Lily laid her smaller ones on top of his and replied to Remus' exclamation._

_"My sentiment exactly."_

_Annixia blanked for a second. She couldn't believe it! Lily, her sensible, logical, Head Girl, Lily was pregnant? That seemed like some kind of strange oxymoron. Had the world been turned on its head?_

_A grin spreading slowly across her face, Nixi sat up, not going far due to Sirius' arm placed firmly around her hips, his position still relaxed next to her on the settee._

_"Well, it looks like we'll all be ice skating to classes tomorrow, since Hell just froze over and all."_

_James laughed and pressed a kiss to his girlfriend's neck as she scowled playfully._

_Annixia was the first out of those receiving the news to move, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Alice and Frank still absorbing the information, standing to pull her best friend into a hug, laughing as she did so;_

_"Way to set an example, Head Girl!"_

_The others broke out of their trance, moving also to congratulate the two soon-to-be parents, Sirius heading straight for James and sharing a heartfelt, man-hug with him, slapping him heartily on the back._

_"Prongs, you sly boy! Knocking up the un-breach-able Evans! Look at you, all grown up!"_

_Lily snorted and sent an eye-roll in Sirius' direction while Alice came over to fawn also. Annixia, however, stole the mother-to-be's attention easily, holding the taller girl by the shoulders and smiling sweetly._

_"That is going to be one lucky kid, what with you guys for parents and all. I can hear the hearts of the future generation breaking already!"_

_Lily shook her head and drew Annixia in for another hug. The smaller girl whispered;_

_"Congratulations."_

_The redhead smiled;_

_"Thank you."_

_When they pulled away, Lily was rushed by Remus, eager to welcome her revelation with an easy hug, as well as Frank and Alice, plus Sirius' awkward pat on the back. _

_Peter shifted and squawked, sending her an unsure smile._

_Annixia moved to James, smiling at the proud expression upon his handsome face and drew him in, tiptoeing to circle his shoulders. Out of pure excitement, he lifted her clean of the ground and squeezed, eliciting a squeal from Nixi and laughs from the witnesses. When she was back on solid ground, Annixia shook her head and grinned;_

_"You're gonna be an amazing dad, James, but for the sake of your sanity i hope it's a boy. A girl with both yours and Lily's combined genes? You'll have your work cut out for you as a protective father."_

_James let out a laugh and tilted his head playfully:_

_"And my boy'll be what? Chopped liver?"_

_Annixia scoffed;_

_"Hardly. No doubt you'll produce a heart-breaker, but if their male i doubt you'll be too worried about their virtue. Am i right?"_

_James rolled his eyes, still smiling;_

_"Aren't you always?"_

_Nixi, shaking her head, laughed and drew him in for another, this time earthly, hug._

_"Congratulations."_

_"You too."_

_Annixia drew back, confused,_

_"For what?"_

_James grinned and tapped his nose;_

_"You'll see." She rolled her eyes; Nixi had never been too fond of surprises, James continued, "For now, you might want to go and release your boyfriend from the awkward punishment he's being subjected to."_

_Curious, Annixia turned to see Sirius, looking cornered, as Alice badgered him for his opinion on the sex of the child._

_The blonde sighed and rolled her eyes, smile taking off the edge;_

_"It's a simple question, Sirius; Boy or girl?"_

_Leaning up and grinning, Anni pecked James' cheek before moving to slide her arm around Sirius' narrow hips, hand falling casually into the back pocket of his jeans._

_"I'd put money on a boy, Alice," she intervened smoothly, "We need another generation of Marauders, after all."_

_Turning back to Lily, query answered, Alice left the couple to it and Sirius turned to face Annixia fully, pulling her into a tight and thankful embrace._

_"Merlin, i love you."_

_Annixia laughed, shook her head and pulled away from the hug, only to be steadied in place by Sirius arms across her hips._

_"I didn't know you swung that way, Sirius. Way to lead a girl on."_

_He shook his head, eyes serious as they flickered between the two of hers._

_"No, Nix, i really do; i love you. And i can't believe I've never actually told you that before..."_

_Though Annixia was sure it wasn't the time or place, surrounded by friends throwing out random baby names and laughing joyously when a particularly horrid one caused _

_Lily's face to pale beneath her freckles, she also knew that it really didn't matter._

_It was a private moment between the two of them; hidden in plain sight._

_She shrugged._

_"I didn't mind the wait." Her arms went around his neck and she paused, watching the worry on his handsome face gradually take over. She smiled softly, tiptoeing; "Oh, and i love you, too."_

_A grin broke out on both of their faces and, without hesitation, they met halfway in a quick, happy kiss, more a confirmation of their feelings than an actual display. However, neither could wipe the stupid smiles off of their faces for the rest of the day. Thankfully nobody questioned it._

_Sirius moved to seat himself in the armchair, collapsing contently while Annixia shifted to lean on the top of it from behind, her arms coming down to loll against her boyfriend's chest, drawing ghostly patterns with the delicate tips of her fingers._

_She felt him growl low, deep in the pit of his stomach and she smiled, placing a butterfly kiss just beneath his ear._

_It was a good day, all things considered, a nice way to end January; Lily announced she was two months gone with a child and Annixia now had an identified feeling to attach to her relationship. And every thought of Voldemort that had plagued them since their meeting with Dumbledore drifted slowly and unnoticeably out of the window._

_For now..._

**It's been a while, I know guys, and I suck for it but I haven't abandoned this story – just making my way through slowly but surely! Thank you for all of your kind reviews: they make me glide and write simultaneously!**

**If you guys are feeling the Criminal Minds kick that I am right now, I have story out about dearest Dr. Reid, if you're interested?**

**Let me know what you think!**


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